A Florida man facing animal cruelty charges for beating an iguana to death tried to use the state’s ‘stand your ground’ self-defence laws to get off of the charge, which could see him jailed for five years.
‘Stand your ground’ laws allow people to use force, rather than retreat, to protect themselves if threatened.
PJ Nilaja Patterson, 43, attempted to use this law when his lawyers claimed that the animal threatened him and then bit his arm, an injury that required 22 staples. The defence also claimed that he tried to kill the iguana as quickly as possible to preserve its antidote, as he believed iguana bites were poisonous. Iguanas are not, in fact, venomous.
The prosecution argued that he tormented the animal and did not try to kill it in a humane way, citing the extensive wounds the animal had suffered before its death.
The judge denied his ‘stand your ground’ immunity defence.
The trial is ongoing.
[Image: Filip Kruchlik from Pixabay]