Wash. man jailed for stabbing parrot with fork

EVERETT, Wash. A 63-year-old Everett, Washington state, man has been sentenced to six months in jail for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend's parrot with a serving fork.

The Daily Herald reports that Richard J. Atkinson pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and domestic-violence malicious mischief in the Aug. 19 attack.

In a letter to the newspaper in September, the woman said she had the parrot, Bailey, for 18 years.

Defense lawyer William Steffener said at Tuesday's sentencing that his client doesn't remember what happened, but he may have mixed anti-anxiety medication with whiskey and slipped into a blacked-out rage.

Snohomish County Superior Court Judge George Appel ordered Atkinson to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. He also has to pay the woman for her parrot and destroyed belongings, and he can't own any animals for five years.

[Minnesota_Swede]

Obviously none of the people who commented on this article, except me, are aware of how dangerous psychiatric drugs can be. The book, "Medication Madness - The Role of Psychiatric Drugs in Cases of Violence, Suicide, and Crime", by Peter R. Breggin, M.D., explains it very well. Anyone who is taking (or knows someone who is taking these prescription drugs) anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anti-seizure drugs, stimulants, ADD/ADHD drugs, chantix, or any other drug that affects the brain should read this book so they know what to look out for. My normally gentle husband of 23 years freaked out from taking gabapentin (AKA neurontin), an anti-seizure drug he was prescribed for nerve pain, and became violent, talked nonstop about nothing, suffered from rage and had severe memory loss. He attacked me after his dose was doubled and he had drank 1 1/2 beers. He does not remember it nor much of the time he was on the drug. When he stopped taking the drug his violence stopped but he still has problems from taking the drug. I hope Mr. Atkinson (and everyone, really) reads this book; it may help him to understand how this happened. My heart goes out to him, his ex, and the poor parrot.

[suzyku]

I am very sick and tired of reading about these sick jerks who injure or kill animals! Frankly I think all of them should be locked up together on an island and they can kill or injure each other!

[suzyku]

I am very sick and tired of reading about these sick jerks who injure or kill animals! Frankly I think all of them should be locked up together on an island and they can kill or injure each other!

[mountainstates1]

Give this monster the death penalty. He deserves nothing less!

[margroks]

He should NEVER be allowed to own any animal! What a cruel thing to do. THis guy doesn't deserve a second chance. What a pig.

[fwupow]

He should've stabbed a person instead. Wudda got a lighter sentence, but stabbing a bird with a fork is really out there. Just open a window and let it fly away, then a drunken stupor story is much more effective; "I got liquored up beyond all comprehension and when I woke up 3 days later, the bird was gone. I don't know what became of it. I thought that she must've grabbed it."

[randomites]

I don't know, but maybe it was something the parrot said...

[suzyku]

This is not funny idiot!

[cbs_bull]

This coward picked an easy target. He should try to fork Mike Tyson...

[tireslinger]

Yeah, I agree but my vote would be for him to try and fork, a very large, protective dog! Blacked out, my foot!!

[tmittelstaed]

parrots are unbelievably expensive - blacked out, my eye. He knew what he was doing.

[MrsHippy]

I hate to laugh, but a man stabbing a parrot with a fork is something I expect to see on Saturday Night Live. Just when I think I have heard the ultimate in Stupidity, somebody tops it!

[suzyku]

Your comment is totally insensitive and inappropriate!