Derry Woman Could Face Prison For Stabbing Pet Snake

BRENTWOOD, NH — The Rockingham County Superior Court grand jury has indicted a Derry woman on a felony charge stating she stabbed a pet snake earlier this year. Sharon A. Magyar, 54, of Derry, was indicted this month on Class B felony cruelty to animals. If convicted, she could face a prison sentence.

According to the indictment, Magyar purposefully mutilated an animal in Derry on Feb. 3 when she stabbed a pet snake with a knife. According to the state law, the animal cruelty charge is a misdemeanor on first offense, and a Class B felony on second and subsequent offenses. Magyar, whose charge is a Class B felony, could face a maximum possible sentence of 3 1/2 to 7 years in state prison, and $4,000 in fines, if she is convicted. She has previously been arraigned on this charge.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt; rather, it means that the grand jury has found sufficient evidence in the case to warrant a trial.