The three violent homophobic assailants charged with beating a gay couple unconscious in an unprovoked gay bashing in Philadelphia on September 11th –Kevin Harrigan, Kathryn Knott, and Philip Williams — appeared Tuesday before Judge Charles Hayden for a preliminary hearing in order to determine if there was enough evidence to proceed to trial on charges of felony assault and conspiracy, among other counts.
Judge Hayden confirmed that yes, the evidence is compelling enough to go to trial. Formal arraignment in Common Pleas Court is scheduled for January 6th.
During an intense day of witness examination, Geoff Nagle testified what he’d seen from his nearby third floor window — initially “a woman in the group pointing her finger at someone and that the person she was pointing her finger at then pushed her hand away.”
Then things “took a drastic turn” when he saw “one of the men in the group put a man in a headlock and that there were punches thrown. He said that he heard cursing and yelling in male and female voices, including language such as “fucking faggot.”
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Zachary Hesse, one of two victims in the case, was next to take the stand. He said, “that when the pair encountered the group at 16th and Chancellor, Harrigan asked, “Is that your fucking boyfriend?” “I said, ‘Yeah, that is my fucking boyfriend,” he testified. “‘Do you have a problem with that?'” Then he testified that Harrigan said, “‘So you’re a dirty fucking faggot?’ So I approached him and said, ‘Maybe I am a dirty fucking faggot.’ He pushed me, I pushed him.'”
Hesse identified “Harrigan as the man who first hit him in the head, Knott as the woman who “smacked or hit” him in the head and called him a “fucking faggot,” and Williams as the man who then hit Hesse again.”
Hesse’s boyfriend took the worst of the blows, resulting in two broken cheek bones requiring his jaw to be wired shut for nearly two months.
The trio’s lawyers asked the judge to “dismiss the most serious charges and remand the case back to Municipal Court, but Hayden disagreed, saying that the prosecution had met its burden for the preliminary hearing. He then wished all three of the defendants ‘good luck.'”
via PhillyMag
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Blackceo
I hope these trashy thugs get the book thrown at them.
Trippy
Evil.
odawg
Happy Holidays to them!
AJAnders
I truly hope this is one instance where their rich families can’t use their wealth to bail their asses out of trouble.
Ladbrook
Would be a shame if the two boys ended up in prison. Based on their looks, they might end up with a pretty healthy understanding of what “gay bashing” really feels like.
vonric
live a few blocks from where this happened… these brats are from working class families that live in a close in suburb of Philly and were in town to get plastered far away from their parents… that they engaged in gay-bashing is nothing more or less than an expression of inherent biases derived from their “good parochial” schooling. Frankly hope the legal costs force second and third mortgages for Mommy and Daddy to pay off.
Sadly, this article leaves out some critical commentary that was in the local news, that the one victim had problems sustaining a coherent line in response to the defense attorney’s lines of questions.. so the real trial may be a massive effort to discredit the one victim that has testified to date. the case may ultimately hinge on the other eyewitness, who has been clear, concise and focused so far, holding up well under cross-exam. Of course, the defendants could crumble and go for plea bargains. best might be for one to “turn” for a plea bargain and thus coroborate the witness in this event, thus ditching his/her codefendants and leaving them holding the bag.
bry5n
thanks for following this story queerty & please continue. i hope to read that those three monsters receive jail time.
transiteer
We should just hang these three gutless cowards and be rid of them.
frubino
Thank God for who he is above the celestial belief that this timeless passage involves so what voltage reacts from a different reason, which gets beaten me literally falls breath. We live indeed in spirit such as required or we fault ourselves that we build on this old planet called dementia?
Harley
They were just practicing their religious beliefs. You see how Christians are being persecuted? If they can deny making a wedding cake then they can beat someone down in the street that doesn’t fit their twisted definition of what “normal” is. And @frubino: HUH? Did that come from google translate?
Ladbrook
@Harley: You’re correct; and when a “Christian” screams “religious liberty!” or wants a religious exemption from anti-bullying laws, this case should serve as one of numerous examples as to why those arguments are not only hollow, but extremely dangerous.
martinbakman
@Blackceo: One would hope they pay with the maximum penalty but I am pessimistic how the sentencing and timed served will be light. Not everyone looks on them as the monsters the proved themselves to be.
lykeitiz
And let’s not forget that Little Miss White Trash’s father is a neighboring city’s police chief.
Dawson
Normally the pretty and white and rich get lighter sentencing. If they were minorities or 300 pound lugs that would give me hope. She is connected already to the police depart by way of her family and they all went to Catholic schools so their freinds and family will put pressure on the system. Do we really think justice is blind? I do believe that many people in this country are getting fed up with this inbalance and it is luck for this country that those horrible killings of unarmed black men verdict happened in winter. Why? Because it is harder to mobilized in the winter. Remember how the 99% movement also happened when the weather was cooled. People don’t want to leave their house or stay long outside in cold weather. Also having a Black President helps. But the water is boiling and white America just doesn’t get it. Many of us have long memories. And no I am not black I just feel that people are identifying with how groups including our own are not treated equally. History has shown that other oppressed groups often tend to support and identify with other oppressed groups. We are right around the corner of a major, major reaction.
Garrett
I vote “eye for an eye” on this bunch. Let’s march them through a leather bar and see what happens.
Stache99
@Garrett: Dumb
Stache99
@Dawson: History shows that you’re right. If it goes to trial the jury will side with who they identify with ie not two gay men. You could have a clear video of the events and they still wouldn’t convict them.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
The vile little crunt’s Daddy couldn’t get her otta this jam………
And I hope those two guys truly know what a good “bashing” feels like when it hits them right up the butt………..