AUGUSTA — A Waterville man will spend three years behind bars for sucker-punching a bouncer in May 2013 in the parking lot outside Champions nightclub in Waterville, leaving him blind in one eye.

Erick Estrada, 33, of Waterville and also Brooklyn, New York, pleaded no contest Thursday at a hearing in the Capital Judicial Center to aggravated assault in connection with an incident that occurred late on May 9, 2013.

Judge Eric Walker automatically found Estrada guilty and imposed a sentence of eight years in prison with an initial three years to be served immediately and the remainder suspended. The jail term is to be followed by two years of probation.

Assistant District Attorney Tracy DeVol said no restitution was owed because workers’ compensation insurance covered the medical bills for the victim, who is now 26.

DeVol said the incident occurred as bouncers from Champions were trying to break up a confrontation. She said the victim’s eye was damaged permanently as a result of the attack.

“He’ll never see out of it again,” she said.

Both DeVol and Estrada’s attorney, Thomas J. Carey, said Estrada, too, was injured that night. Carey said Estrada preferred to accept the plea deal and forgo his right to present a self-defense argument to a jury.

Walker warned Estrada that if he didn’t do well on probation, he could be returned to prison to serve the remaining five years.

DeVol also said Estrada had several serious drug convictions previously in New York.

At a separate hearing, Theodore J. Barry, 33, of Vassalboro, was sentenced to 21 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to domestic violence assault and domestic violence criminal threatening in connection with a March 20 incident in Vassalboro and three counts of violating conditions of release May 5 and 14 and June 14, all in Augusta.

The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Kristin Murray-James, said Barry had tackled his girlfriend March 20 “like a linebacker,” ending up on the floor on top of her. Murray-James said Barry then pulled the woman’s head back, grabbed a knife and threatened to kill her.

At the time, he was on probation for an assault on the same victim, and the 21 months is to be concurrent to a partial probation revocation in that case.

“These cases are very concerning because they involve the same victim again,” Walker said.

Defense attorney Lisa Whittier said Barry hasn’t served more than 60 days behind bars before this.

“Going from 60 days to 21 months (in prison) is a pretty heavy hit,” she said, urging the judge to accept the joint sentencing recommendation.

Several other people were sentenced Thursday in separate hearings at the Capital Judicial Center:

• Ronald T. Birch, 43, of Belgrade, violating protective order May 29 in Belgrade; 180-day sentence, all but six days suspended (credit for six days served), one-year probation.

• Dana Bradford, 36, of Skowhegan, violating condition of release June 6 in Oakland; 90-day jail sentence concurrent to a probation revocation.

• Mary C. Brown, 55, of Sidney, operating after habitual-offender revocation Dec. 8, 2014, in Waterville; jail sentence of nine months and one day, $1,000 fine.

• Cory W. Dodge, 22, of Skowhegan, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer April 6 in Waterville; 75-day jail sentence concurrent to a probation revocation on a Somerset County conviction.

• Cotey Provencher, 20, of Augusta and formerly of Benton, theft Feb. 26, 2014 in Clinton; $300 fine.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

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