NORFOLK
A Richmond man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery in connection with a 2006 death and was sentenced to 12 months in jail.
Melford Charles, 34, had already served the sentence, and was being released from jail later Tuesday.
Charles had been charged with second-degree murder and lynching by a mob in the death of Devon Brathwaite, 23, a Navy man who was stabbed in October 2006 during a fight at a party at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3160 in the 100 block of A View Ave.
On Tuesday, the murder charge against Charles was withdrawn and the lynching charge was amended to assault and battery.
Amanda Howie, spokeswoman for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said, “The evidence we have supports the assault and battery charge.”
Charles entered an Alford plea, which means he did not admit guilt but acknowledges that prosecutors probably have enough evidence to convict him.
Previously, two other co-defendants were convicted of a misdemeanor assault and battery charge and a third was convicted of a misdemeanor assault charge in connection with the case, Howie said. Initially, they had all faced one count of second-degree murder and one count of lynching, she said.
Brathwaite, a sailor from New York, was stationed aboard the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman.
Cheryl Ross, (757) 446-2443, cheryl.ross@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
