OC Woman Gets Life For Cutting Off Husband's Penis, Putting It In Garbage Disposal
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — A Garden Grove woman Friday was sentenced to life in state prison with the possibility of parole for cutting off her husband's penis and running it through a garbage disposal.
Judge Richard Toohey rejected a defense plea for probation and dismissed the argument that Catherine Kieu, 50, should be given leniency because she's a model citizen who suffers from mental illness.
"Her actions were as calculated, as cold, as callus as any murder in the first-degree," he said.
Kieu was found guilty of torture and aggravated mayhem in April for the July 2011 attack.
Prosecutors said Kieu and her husband had an argument at their Garden Grove home before she laced his soup with Ambien.
When he fell asleep that night, authorities said she tied him up, woke him and cut off his genitals with a 10-inch kitchen knife.
Kieu then threw the parts in the garbage disposal, and called 911 to tell police her husband "deserved it," according to authorities.
He was transported to UCI Medical Center where he underwent emergency surgery to make sure he was able to go to the bathroom.
Kieu's attorney said his client suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder due to mental impairment and long-term sexual abuse. He mentioned she had a "break from reality" when she committed the crime and had trouble accepting her husband's request for a divorce.
In court, the 62-year-old victim said Kieu's actions were rooted in vengeance, vanity and jealously because the couple was splitting up.
"This was not an act of war. This was not some horrible accident. This was not the result of some terrible disease. This was a cruel and calculated violation of a person's body and mind," he said.
The unidentified man later told KCAL9's Michele Gile that he hopes he'll never have to see Kieu again.
"I'm hoping this will be the last time I'll ever have to see her," he said.
Kieu will be eligible for parole in seven years, officials said.
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