Calgary Herald

Animal killer’s latest woes blamed on pet- sitting

- KEVIN MARTIN

Convicted animal torturer Nicolino Camardi was just doing his neighbours a favour when he allegedly breached his probation, they said.

Vernon McCarty and Michelle Pelletier said Thursday the animals found in Camardi’s home last week — two cats and a dog — were theirs.

The Calgary couple said their home was being fumigated that day and they asked Camardi if they could keep their pets at his house while that was being done.

McCarty said they were in a bind when their landlord unexpected­ly booked a fumigation for their home.

“He was just trying to help us,” he said of Camardi, who lives across the street from their northeast residence. “We didn’t have a vehicle, or anywhere to go.”

Pelletier said they took their two cats, Star and Marie, and their dog BamBam to Camardi’s in the hope their neighbour and friend could help.

“We went across the street to ask Nico if we could leave our pets, or come and watch our pets in his house,” she said.

“He said ‘ yeah’ … but I was under the impression I was gonna stay there by myself and he was going to go out at some point,” Pelletier said.

When the fumigators finished two hours later, she went to her residence to lock the door.

“When I went to lock the door at my house directly across the street and came back, the police were there,” she said.

“They were trying to say the animals were his,” McCarty said.

“They’re not, they’re ours,” Pelletier added.

It was then the couple were informed a condition of Camardi’s probation that he wasn’t allowed to own or live with any pets.

“We wouldn’t have put him in that position” if they’d known, Pelletier said.

“It was a last- minute situation and, like, I feel really bad,” she said.

“It was kind of just miscommuni­cation, I guess.”

Pelletier said they were at Camardi’s residence from 8: 30 a. m. to 3 p. m.

“The cops took him at 10: 30 in the morning,” she said.

McCarty said he didn’t think it was fair Camardi was charged.

“I think he’s getting a raw deal. He’s trying — you’ve got to give him a chance.”

Along with the breach for possessing the three pets, Camardi is also accused of breaching a condition he not be in possession of alcohol or non- prescribed drugs.

It’s alleged he had a six- pack of beer and a half- gram of marijuana in a bong at his home.

Camardi was sentenced last March to the equivalent of 22 months in jail for the brutal torture and killing of a cat and dog.

At the time, because of credit for pre- sentencing custody, he had just six months left to serve.

He was then to serve three years of probation.

Camardi earlier had pleaded guilty to two charges of animal cruelty involving the January 2014 deaths of a kitten and Siberian Husky, which had their muzzles taped shut before their bodies were dumped in a Willow Park alley on separate dates.

Before killing the animals Camardi abused both for two to three months.

Camardi made a brief court appearance Thursday, where law student Kris Wilkins scheduled a bail hearing on behalf of defence counsel Rebecca Snukal.

Camardi, 20, will remain in custody until at least the hearing on Feb. 22, when Snukal will seek his release.

 ??  ?? Nicolino Camardi
Nicolino Camardi

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada