Weapon case dropped against Manchester man

Alex Wood, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·2 min read

Jun. 18—The case against a Manchester man who was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon in an April 2020 incident in which another man committed a near-fatal stabbing in Manchester was dropped Wednesday.

The defendant in the weapon case was Paul Andre Blake, who is around age 50 and has listed an address on Oak Street. A case that a prosecutor has dropped, or "nolled," can theoretically be revived in the next 13 months, but that rarely happens.

Blake was arrested during the police investigation of the stabbing, which occurred on the afternoon of April 25, 2020 in the area of 213 Center St.

John Farley Blackshear, 27, has been convicted of second-degree assault and carrying a dangerous weapon in the stabbing and is serving a two-year prison sentence, according to online state records.

Under his sentence, Blackshear's prison time will be followed by three years' probation, with the possibility of up to six more years behind bars if he violates release conditions.

Blackshear entered the plea bargain under the Alford doctrine, meaning that he didn't admit guilt but acknowledged that the prosecution's evidence was sufficient for a conviction at trial.

WEAPON CASE

DEFENDANT: Paul Andre Blake, who is around age 50 and has listed an address on Oak Street in Manchester

CHARGE: Carrying a dangerous weapon

OUTCOME: Case dropped

The charge that Blake carried a dangerous weapon was based on accusations that he brandished a knife during the incident. The victim told police that Blake approached him along with Blackshear.

Prosecutor Anthony Bochicchio said when Blackshear entered his plea bargain in April that the victim had told an inspector in the Hartford state's attorney's office that he didn't want to have any input as to the outcome of the case and didn't want to testify at a trial.

The victim was 56 at the time of the stabbing and suffered injuries that the prosecutor has said were considered life-threatening at first, although he eventually recovered. The stabbing occurred during an argument while the victim was outside cleaning a car.

Neither Bochicchio nor Blake's lawyer, Michael D. Dwyer, could immediately be reached for comment Thursday on why the case against Blake was dropped.

Another defendant in the stabbing case, Jillian Sage Holden, who is around 19, has pleaded guilty to interfering with police. The basis for the conviction was that she lied to police by denying any knowledge of the incident, Bochicchio said in court when she entered her plea bargain in April.

Holden was put on probation for two years, with the possibility of up to a year in prison if she violates release conditions.

For updates on Glastonbury, and recent crime and courts coverage in North-Central Connecticut, follow Alex Wood on Twitter: @AlexWoodJI1, Facebook: Alex Wood, and Instagram: @AlexWoodJI.