Two men plead guilty to violent, homophobic and racist attack on gay black man
Two of the five men arrested for beating a gay black man took plea deals for reduced charges.
Pinchas Braver, 22, and Abraham Winkler, 42, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn Supreme Court to unlawful imprisonment for their part in the 2013 assault on Taj Patterson in Williamsburg, NY Post reports.
Patterson, 25, suffered a broken eye socket and torn retina following the attack, in which witnesses said the Hasidic suspects were shouting anti-gay remarks at the victim.
The attack was investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Unit.
The two suspects got plea deals after the prosecution’s main witnesses changed their accounts of what happened, leaving the DA with too little evidence of bias.
Both men were handed three years’ probation and 150 hours of community service – which will be served in a “culturally diverse neighborhood outside of where this unlawful imprisonment took place.”
Mayer Herskiovic, a third defendant, rejected the plea deal and will go to trial on August 9.
Aharon Hollender and Joseph Fried were the other alleged attackers. Charges against them were dismissed in 2014 and 2015.
Earlier this month, a UK man was arrested after a violent attack that left his victim with a broken jaw.
The victim – former model Aaron Carey – was attacked outside Legends, the seafront bar and hotel, according to Brighton and Hove News.
His attacker shouted homophobic abuse at him, before punching him in the face and breaking his jaw.
Sussex Police said that a 21-year-old man from London was held on suspicion of assault and causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.
