Accept the plea deals and make the story go away.
Via WDIV
One after another, family members of Steve Utash on Monday addressed the man convicted in his beating, all sharing the same question: Why?
Utash,a tree trimmer from Macomb County, struck a 10-year-old boy who had darted in front of his truck on April 2. When he got out to check on the child, he was severely beaten by a mob of onlookers.
Utash spent more than a week in a medically induced coma after the mob-style attack. Witnesses have said up to a dozen people were involved, but only five have been charged. One of the attackers, Wonzey Saffold, pleaded guilty to assault in exchange for having an attempted murder charge dropped.
At his sentencing, Saffold apologized to the Utash family for their pain and suffering.
Judge James Callahan ordered him to spend six years and four months to 10 years in prison.
Callahan told Saffold his actions had “caused a tremendous upheaval in the city.”
Teen convicted in beating of Steve Utash given 3 years of probation
Bruce Wimbush admitted to striking Steve Utash during the April 2 attack. Police have said Utash, a 54-year-old tree trimmer from Clinton Township, was not at fault for the incident. The boy was not seriously hurt, but Utash spent days in a coma.
Wimbush said he has a younger brother of his own and “got emotional” when he saw what happened.
“I learned that to not let my emotions take control of me. I’m very sorry to the Utash family. I’m very sorry for my actions in this situation. I also want to say, this will never happen again,” Wimbush told the court.
Judge James Callahan on Monday sentenced Wimbush to three years of probation and to submit for drug tests. Since Wimbush was 17 at the time of the crime, Callahan also sentenced him under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act — that means if Wimbush completes his probation and passes his drug tests, his record will be wiped clean.