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Man pleads no contest in homeless attack
By ABHI RAGHUNATHAN
Published March 14, 2007
CLEARWATER - A 24-year-old St. Petersburg man will get prison time in an attack on a slumbering homeless man in Williams Park. John Cutler pleaded no contest Tuesday to a felony charge of aggravated battery. He was arrested on Dec. 30, 2005, for assaulting a homeless man after a night of drinking in Tampa with friends. Rohom Khonsari, who is prosecuting the case for the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office, said Cutler kicked a 56-year-old homeless man named Steven Witt, waking him up. Then, Khonsari said, Cutler stabbed Witt with a knife, cutting his arm. A nearby police officer heard Witt's screams. Judge Joseph Bulone set the sentencing for April 23. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Khonsari said the State Attorney's Office is seeking a prison sentence of seven to 10 years. Times researcher Angie Drobnic Holan contributed to this report. Abhi Raghunathan can be reached at araghunathan@sptimes.com or 727 893-8472.
[Last modified March 14, 2007, 05:49:56]
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