Man accused of pouring boiling water on gay men rejects plea

[TexasTowelie]

The man accused of pouring boiling water on a gay couple as they lay in bed is headed for trial after rejecting a plea deal, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Martin Blackwell, 48, allegedly poured the water on Anthony Gooden — the son of Blackwell’s girlfriend — and Marquez Tolbert in a College Park apartment in February, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Both victims underwent hospital treatment for their burns.

Blackwell told authorities that “it was just a little hot water on them,” according to a police report obtained by Channel 2. He described disgust with the men’s relationship in the police report.

Blackwell’s trial is scheduled to begin Monday, Channel 2 reported. He has been indicted on aggravated battery and aggravated assault charges and is in the Fulton County jail.

Read more: http://www.ajc.com/news/news/crime-law/man-accused-of-pouring-boiling-water-on-gay-men-re/nsH2t/

[hueymahl]

1. Good. Rejecting a plea means he will spend some real time in jail.

Dirtbag.

[GoDawgs]

2. local citizens' reaction when this incident occured was encouraging

When this was on local news, none of the usual suspects (conservatives, repubs, rightwing churches, etc) here local in Atlanta tried to come to the perpetrator's defense or minimize his act. In similar past incidents that hasn't been the case, they usually came out as a fairly unified block.
Some neighborhood group and others raised some money for mr Gooden (he was burned worse). I think there was a crowdfunding action also.
Anyway, i was struck by how different and more positive public reaction was than it has been-even in the recent past.