Fuzzy Duck assailant gets six years in prison
Published 7:54 am Thursday, January 14, 2010
An Ironton man who attacked another patron at the Fuzzy Duck will spend the next six years in prison.
William Robinson, 29, of 1300 S. Fourth St., was found guilty of felonious assault last week after a two-day trial in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.
Assistant Lawrence County Prosecutor Bob Anderson said the victim was at the bar with two women on Oct. 26, 2009. Robinson was also a patron at the bar.
Anderson said Robinson approached the two women as they sat outside on the deck and began making inappropriate comments to them.
The victim and the bar owner then approached Robinson and asked him to leave.
As he was walking away from the two women the bar owner and victim followed him. Robinson then pulled a large box cutter and slashed at the victim, tearing his shirt.
Robinson maintained during the trial and at his sentencing Wednesday he had acted in self-defense because he thought the victim and bar owner were going to try to hurt him. Anderson said Robinson was the only one with a weapon.
The jury deliberated approximately 25 minutes Friday afternoon before returning with the guilty verdict.
“There’s been no genuine remorse,” Anderson noted to Judge Charles Cooper during the sentencing hearing Wednesday. “In fact he testified and basically admitted the facts of the case during the trial but couldn’t acknowledge his actions weren’t appropriate under the law.”
Anderson asked that Robinson be given “the higher end” of the eight-year maximum sentence.
But Warren Morford, Robinson’s attorney, countered that the victim was not actually harmed.
“It happened in a bar and while that doesn’t excuse things, it happened while people were under the influence of alcohol,” Morford said.
He asked Cooper to consider Robinson’s age when sentencing him.
Robinson apologized but maintained the assault was an act of self-defense. Cooper sentenced Robinson to six years in prison.