MUNCIE, Indiana – A man accused of forcing his 7-year-old daughter to stab the family cat by holding a knife in her hand has reached a plea agreement that would send him to prison for 18 months.
Danield John Collins, 39, was arrested March 13 after police said he forced his daughter to stab Boots, the family's 8-month-old cat. The girl and Collins' 11-year-old son said their father ordered them to stab the cat because he wanted them to "learn to kill."
Police said the boy tried to hide the cat from his father, but Collins found the animal and strangled it as his children watched.
Collins, 39, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of domestic violence/animal cruelty and two counts of neglect of a dependent, The Star Press newspaper reported. He was being held on $40,000 bond.
He said at the hearing that he was intoxicated when the cat was killed and remembered little about that day's events — other than falling on the cat at some point. He did not dispute his children's account of his actions.
If a judge accepts the plea deal, Collins will be sentenced to 18 months in prison and prosecutors will dismiss an intimidation charge. Sentencing was set for Aug. 28.
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