Stepfather requests mercy for stepson’s sentence after attacked with ceramic tiles in Norfolk
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Fifty-three-year-old Mark Willis was sentenced Friday to three years in prison after pleading guilty to hitting his stepfather in the head with ceramic tiles last year.
On July 2, the stepfather heard yelling coming from the garage where Willis was living and saw an argument between Willis and a woman. The woman had been previously banned from the property. As the stepfather attempted to call 911, the woman knocked the phone out of his hand.
The stepfather then restrained her on the ground while waiting for police to show up. Willis took nearby ceramic tiles and smashed them into his stepfather’s head, fracturing his skull. A neighbor helped break up the fight and Willis left the scene before police arrived.
The stepfather requested mercy in the judgement of his stepson as Willis’ mother — the victim’s wife — had died a few months prior to the incident. Willis was originally charged with felony malicious wounding and misdemeanor simple assault of a family member, but it was downgraded to felony unlawful wounding.
Willis entered a plea with a sentence of no longer than three years. He was sentenced to three years in prison, plus two years suspended on the condition that Willis complete three years of uniform good behavior.
“Here in Norfolk, we always balance the need for public safety with the need to center the healing of our victims,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “The evidence in this case would have supported a much longer sentence than we sought, but being victim-centered does not mean just seeking the maximum sentence. It also means offering a measure of mercy to honor the wishes of a stepparent, as we have done here.”
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