Houston: A Houston-area mother convicted of
mutilating her infant by cutting off his genitals two years
ago was sentenced to 99 years in prison.
But minutes after the jury`s sentence was read, Katherine
Nadal, 28, yelled out that she did not hurt her son, prompting
the boy`s father to storm out of the courtroom.
Jurors deliberated for two hours last night before
returning the sentence, which also included a USD 10,000 fine.
The same jury had convicted her last week of first-degree
felony injury to a child.
The jurors chose among possible sentences ranging from
probation to life in prison. Nadal, who shook her head as the
jury foreman read the sentence, will have to serve at least 30
years before she is eligible for parole.
Prosecutors asked for life in prison. Nadal`s attorneys
did not request a specific sentence, instead asking the jury
to not punish her out of hate or revenge.
Nadal had claimed the family dog, a 2.7-3.2 kilogram
dachshund named "Shorty" was responsible for mutilating her
then-5-week-old son, Holden Gothia, as he slept in his
parent`s bedroom in March 2007 at their suburban Houston
apartment.
But prosecutors said she was high on drugs when she
mutilated her son with an unknown sharp instrument.
Bureau Report
