Gay Man Survives Homophobic Roommate's Skull-Crushing Hammer Attack

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/09/09/man-goes-jail-brutal-hate-crime-against-gay-roommate?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2014-09-10

A young British man will serve 14 years in prison for attempting to murder his gay roommate by striking him in the head repeatedly with a hammer.


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Joseph Williams attacked his openly gay roommate, Connor Huntley, with a claw hammer. (Photo: Twitter)


September 09, 2014 By Samantha Cowan

Samantha Cowan is the digital producer for TakePart Live. She previously worked for the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Connor Huntley was sleeping soundly on an inflatable mattress when, prosecutors say, his 21-year-old flatmate, Joseph Williams, brutally attacked him with a hammer. He tried to kill Huntley because he was gay.

Last May Williams struck the defenseless 18-year-old twice in the head with a hammer before calling for emergency medical help. Williams believed that he had killed his flatmate, but police officers arrived to find Huntley alive, the hammer firmly embedded in his skull.


Connor Huntley (Photo: Twitter)

Williams was found guilty of attempted murder on Tuesday and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Huntley survived a depressed skull fracture and a penetrating brain injury, but his life is forever changed as he attempts to recover from the lasting effects. He now suffers from epilepsy and impaired body movement, prosecutors told the court, The Telegraph reports.

“He will be never be able to enjoy all the things that young people enjoy doing. You have taken away a good part of his life,'' Judge Jeremy Donne QC told Williams during his sentencing.

FULL story and E pledge at link.

[exboyfil]

1. Seems like 14 years is too short

for permanently maiming an individual.

Remember the poor girl who was raped and had her arms cut off. The maximum sentence at the time in California for that was 14 years (he served 8 years).

[RKP5637]

2. 14 years is way too lenient! n/t

[mythology]

3. While I know his life will never be the same

I'm glad that he survived and hopefully he can get back to something resembling a normal life as quickly as possible.

[Prophet 451]

4. Jesus, that picture's unsettling

I'm thinking 14 years is way too short. Assuming good behavior, he'll be out in about 10.

[Omaha Steve]

5. Kick

[freshwest]

6. What a shame! Glad he got jail time. Should pay restitution, too, for a lifetime of disability!

[shenmue]

7. Should have been life without parole