Okinawa throat-cutting suspect disrupts sentencing

[unhappycamper]

Okinawa throat-cutting suspect disrupts sentencing
By Chiyomi Sumida, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, November 1, 2007

NAHA — A defendant in a throat-slashing case flew into a rage during his sentencing Tuesday and was removed from the court by guards after lunging at the victim.

Darian Preston Daniels, 29, was wrestled to the floor by four guards and taken out of the Okinawa courtroom with the help of four more after he charged at Bryant White, 23, a former airman and co-worker at a local furniture company.

The incident occurred as Chief Judge Hiroyuki Yoshii was reading a summary of Daniels’ sentence. Soon after the judge said Daniels will serve eight years forced labor in prison, the 29-year-old former Marine suddenly rose from his seat in the witness stand, took off his glasses and lunged toward White.

“Mr. White, I will see you in eight years. Be there!” Daniels cried out.

White was sitting with his wife two rows from the railing separating the gallery from the three-judge panel and witness stand.

~snip~

He insisted the attack was committed by his co-defendant, Marine Sgt. Michael Avinger, 30, arguing that the incident was over a failed marijuana deal between Avinger and White.


Rest of article at: http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=49925