Angry following a soccer referee's call, a 17 year-old player hit the ref once in the head. The blow sent the man to the hospital and into a coma for a week before he died from the injury. A judge has now sent the boy to juvenile prison, according to Utah's Daily Herald, where the juvenile parole boards will decide how much time behind bars he will see.
R.P., 46, was assaulted on April 27 following a soccer game he was refereeing in Salt Lake City. He died on May 5, 2013. The teen, whose name has not been released by the press, was charged with homicide by assault. He pleaded guilty on August 5 in a plea deal approved between the defense and prosecution.
The judge was tasked with the decision of whether to have the case heard in adult or juvenile court. The teen will be 18 years old in three months. The prosecution agreed to keep the case in juvenile court as a stipulation of the plea deal.
The teen was sentenced to juvenile prison where a maximum three-year sentence awaits him. At that time he will be 21 years old. According to Salt Lake County deputy district attorney Patricia Cassell, the parole board has the authority to release him sooner.
The police reported that the teen punched R.P. a single time to the head after the ref had called a foul on him.
R.P. leaves behind three daughters, two of which attended the court proceedings.
The charge of homicide by assault was warranted as it is a count issued only when an attack unintentionally causes a death.
The teen told Juvenile Court Judge Kimberly Hornak that he struck the older man because he was "frustrated at the ref and caused his death."
Judge Hornak ordered the teen to place a photo of R.P. in his jail cell. His was also ordered to write weekly letters to R.P.'s daughters – outlining how he is improving himself. The letter-writing, according to Hornak, will constantly remind him of the pain he has forever inflicted on R.P.'s family.
One daughter, A.P., 21, that appeared in court told the teenager what his irreversible action did to her family. A.P. looked directly at him and said, "I don't think you'll ever understand how much pain and suffering you made us go through. We just wish you had taken a deep breath before you did what you did. You have to change."
Following her statement the teen again addressed the judge. He said that he behaved impulsively when he struck R.P. and took full responsibility for it. He added that he intended to finish high school and continue on by attending college to study chemical engineering.
He then turned to R.P.'s daughters and said, "I'm sorry for everything I've done."
The teen's mother issued an apology, in Spanish, saying that her son was a good student and had a clean criminal record prior to this event.
Judge Hornak took into account the teen's school record, including his enrollment in Advanced Placement classes. However, she was unsettled about the level of violence the teen used after being virtually unprovoked.
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