by peter e. bortner
Daniel T. Langtry must serve time behind state prison bars, and pay more than $72,000 restitution, for assaulting his neighbor in May, a Schuylkill County judge decided Tuesday.
"This was a vicious attack, really for no reason at all," President Judge William E. Baldwin said before sentencing Langtry, 24, of Tremont, to serve one to two years in a state correctional institution.
Baldwin also sentenced Langtry to pay costs and $72,443.27 restitution to David A. Kramer, the victim of his assault.
The restitution is for Kramer's medical bills, Assistant District Attorney Thomas J. "Tim" Pellish said.
In a one-day trial over which Baldwin presided, a jury of seven men and five women found Langtry guilty of simple assault and not guilty of aggravated assault. Baldwin found Langtry guilty of harassment.
State police at Schuylkill Haven charged Langtry, who did not testify during his trial and said nothing during Tuesday's sentencing hearing, with assaulting Kramer about 11:30 p.m. May 24 at the defendant's 69 Spring St. residence.
"I was hit in the face repeatedly, I'm going to say 15 or 20 times. He just went nuts on me," Kramer testified at the trial. "I did not have a split second to even defend myself."
Kramer said he had gone to Langtry's residence to complain about loud music and had been let in by Langtry's girlfriend, Nikki Leininger. He said he went to talk with Langtry and denied touching him at all.
Baldwin accepted the request of Pellish, who asked that Langtry be sent to a state correctional institution in order to protect area citizens.
"The commonwealth is very concerned" about Langtry's violent behavior, Pellish said in asking for a state prison sentence. "Mr. Langtry is a habitual type of offender."
Assistant Public Defender Lora J. McDonald, Langtry's lawyer, asked Baldwin to send her client to county instead of state prison.
"He overreacted. He's sorry for the damage he did," McDonald said.
However, Baldwin rejected that request.
"You have a history of violent behavior," he told Langtry. Defendant: Daniel T. Langtry
Age: 24
Residence: Tremont
Crimes committed: Simple assault and harassment
Prison sentence: One to two years in a state correctional institution