Richmond man pleads guilty to assault charge

Six months after a violent altercation at a New Year’s Eve party sent two men to the hospital, one of their assailants has pleaded guilty.

In a nearly empty courtroom, Trevor Korineck, 23, of Richmond, pleaded guilty Wednesday in District Court in West Bath to one charge of aggravated assault on a Freeport man.

He also entered an Alford plea on another charge of aggravated assault charge on a Harpswell man, meaning that he did not admit the crime but acknowledged that the prosecution probably could prove the charge against him at a trial.

Both are class B felony counts.

Justice Daniel Billings sentenced him to five years, with all but nine months suspended, and to three years of probation to be served concurrently. He also is required to pay restitution before the term of his probation is up.

Korineck is prohibited from having any contact with the victims or with the witness in the case.

“This is a fair and reasonable outcome for you,” Billings said before ordering him to turn himself in at 6 p.m. Friday at the Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset to start serving his sentence.

Korineck and another man, Jay Underwood, 27, were arrested during the second week in January after an investigation by Richmond police into a violent altercation that took place at a New Year’s Eve party on Stable Road in Richmond.

In his affidavits for arrest warrants, Richmond police Officer Chris Giles wrote that when police arrived at the scene, they interviewed a 21-year-old Freeport man who had injuries on his face. The man said he had stepped outside the party, where a fight had taken place, and was struck on the head with a brick by a man he identified as Underwood. He said Underwood continued to hit him after he fell, and another man he identified as Korineck kicked him in the head before he lost consciousness.

Gilles wrote that a 22-year-old Harpswell man saw the attack and tried to intervene, and then Korineck struck him in the head with a brick. As that victim tried to fight them off, the affidavit says, Korineck and Underwood continued to kick the first man, who still was lying on the ground, in the head. Others intervened.

A.J. Chalifour, assistant district attorney in Sagadahoc County, said the victims suffered injuries that required lengthy hospitalization and convalescence.

“The state takes this case very seriously,” Chalifour said. “It’s rare to see injuries of this caliber.”

While the victims in the case had been notified of the hearing, he said, neither attended.

“We have some dispute over who did what,” said Michael Turndorf, Korineck’s attorney. “He’s not admitting he’s the one who hit (the victim) with the brick, but he agrees it could be found by a jury.”

“I understand there is some dispute,” Billings said. “It was a bad scene. This is a very serious case. It happened six months ago, so this is a fairly quick resolution.”

He said the fact that Korineck had indicated his intention to plead guilty earlier this year factored into the sentence, as did his youth and record.

“Too often, folks focus only on the time served. In your case, it’s nine months. To focus only on that would be a major error,” Billings said. “You have four years and three months hanging over you.”