The sentencing of two teens who pleaded guilty to putting a cat in a microwave and turning it on has been put off for another month, despite pleas from the defence to wrap up the case.
Camrose judge J.H. Goss ruled Thursday to adjourn the sentencing to September 4 after one of the teens failed to finish a pre-sentencing report.
Crown prosecutor John Laluk told the judge the report was not finished due to a lack of communication between the teen and the probation officer.
The case comes after two Camrose teenagers pleaded guilty to unlawfully causing pain and suffering to an animal.
The two boys, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, also pleaded guilty to two counts of breaking and entering.
Three 15-year-old boys and a 13-year-old teen were charged in early 2008 after a family pet was found dead in a microwave. An RCMP investigation revealed the cat died when the appliance was turned on.
A family friend of the homeowners discovered the dead cat, named Princess, on Dec. 30 while the family was away on Christmas vacation.
The house had been broken into and trashed.
During the sentencing hearing Thursday, Goss also asked for a psychiatric assessment on the two teenagers due to the nature of the charges.
Goss said the crime is particularly troubling because the teens put the cat in the microwave, turned it on for 10 minutes and listened to its screams.
Meanwhile, defence lawyer Chris Mill argued the sentence should be handed down Thursday to provide closure for the two involved.
He said school starts in September and the kids deserve to start the school year with a clean slate.
Outside of the courtroom, two separate groups of protestors got into an argument over the fate of the teens.
One protestor held a sign supporting the accused which argued the kids suffered enough as they were instantly prosecuted by Camrose residents as soon as their names leaked onto the internet.
Activists supporting Princess argued the sign was unreasonable.
