St. Charles man jailed for beating cat

A St. Charles man accused of beating his girlfriend's cat so badly that it had to be euthanized pleaded guilty Friday to aggravated cruelty to animals, authorities said.

David Potts, 33, of the 200 block of Walnut Street, was sentenced to 180 days in jail and two years of probation in exchange for his plea. DuPage County Judge Kathryn Creswell also barred him from owning pets.

Prosecutors said Potts' girlfriend returned to her Wheaton home Oct. 25 to find the cat, named Patches, covered in blood, missing teeth, and with a “swollen, disfigured head.” A veterinarian euthanized the animal several days later, the state's attorney's office said.

Had the case gone to trial, prosecutors said, the veterinarian would have testified the injuries were consistent with the cat being kicked or struck by a car. Potts had claimed the animal was hurt when a bed fell on it, authorities said.

Potts' attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.