Man sentenced to 21 years in prison for shooting Lady Gaga's dog walker

The man who last year shot Lady Gaga's dog walker and took her French bulldogs was given a sentence of more than 20 years in prison.

According to the Associated Press, James Howard Jackson accepted a plea agreement on Monday and will serve the following 21 years in a Los Angeles County prison.

Jackson confessed to the charge of causing grievous bodily harm and to a prior strike, but pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted murder, according to the LA County District Attorney's Office. He had been accused of trying to kill someone, planning a robbery, and assaulting with a semiautomatic weapon.

“The plea agreement holds Mr. Jackson accountable for perpetrating a coldhearted violent act and provides justice for our victim,” the DA’s office said in a statement.

Jackson was one of five individuals who took part in the bloody heist and its aftermath: three men and two accomplices.

Authorities claim that because the offenders were unaware that Lady Gaga's pets belonged to her, they did not intentionally target the singer. The value of the French bulldog breed, which may cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars, is the group's alleged motivation, according to the suspects.

On February 24, 2021, Jackson and others allegedly drove around a number of Los Angeles neighbourhoods looking for French bulldogs.

On Sunset Boulevard, they came across Gaga's dog walker Ryan Fischer and her three pets. Jackson engaged Fischer in a violent struggle during which he was hit, choked, and shot. The incident was caught on the doorbell camera of a nearby house.

Koji and Gustav, the two dogs, were eventually returned by Jennifer McBride, who was also charged with the crime.

Fischer experienced a "very close call with death," during which he lost a portion of a lung.

Harold White, a second conspirator, Monday also entered a no-contest plea. Next year, he will receive a sentence.

Harold White's son, Jaylin White, was sentenced to four years in state prison earlier this year after entering a no-contest plea to second-degree robbery.