LIHU‘E — A 42-year-old Anahola resident will spend less than 30 days behind bars after pleading no contest to three charges that were amended from two counts of firstdegree terroristic threatening and one count of second-degree attempted assault. Alfred Lee
LIHU‘E — A 42-year-old Anahola resident will spend less than 30 days behind bars after pleading no contest to three charges that were amended from two counts of firstdegree terroristic threatening and one count of second-degree attempted assault.
Alfred Lee Mahi Hammond was sentenced to jail Monday by Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Watanabe for three counts of harassment.
Each petty misdemeanor count carries a maximum of 30 days in jail.
The jail time for each charge will run concurrently, and Hammond will be given credit for the six days he already served.
Watanabe also ordered Hammond to pay a $1,000 fine, and to pay a $30 crime-victim-compensation fee.
Watanabe gave Hammond until 6 p.m. yesterday to turn himself in to officials at the Kauai Community Correctional Center to begin serving his time.
The amended charges stem from an indictment that was filed against Hammond in November 2004.
According to the two-page indictment, on Oct. 16, 2004, Hammond intended to terrorize Kaua‘i Police Department officer Chad Cataluna with bodily injury. He also intended to terrorize another person with a knife, and he attempted to injure that person with that knife.
Each Class-C felony count carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. If he was convicted on all the original charges, Hammond would have faced up to 15 years in prison.
In court, Deputy Public Defender John Calma said that his client had a dispute with his girlfriend.
“He was angry and disappointed with himself,” said Calma. “He did what he did that day,” Calma added.
Calma said that his client has been working steadily as a construction worker since the incident. He pointed out that Hammond’s employer has high expectations of him.
Calma said that his client’s past record is not impressive, but he asked Watanabe to let his client continue to be a contributing member of society.
County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jennifer Winn said that Hammond has a record of prior convictions going back to the 1980s.
“He swung a knife” during the incident, said Winn.
Calma said that his client did not intend to kill anyone, and he said that his client said “shoot me” to KPD officers who were called to the scene.
Watanabe noted that Hammond had letters of support from his employer and from his mother.
She pointed out that the incident must have been very stressful to his mother, and to the police officers involved. She also said it must have been a volatile situation because Hammond is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 274 pounds, and he was wielding a knife.
Watanabe also pointed out that Hammond has 29 felony convictions to date.
She did not sentence Hammond immediately to KCCC, and gave him time to notify his employer.
Cynthia Kaneshiro, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or ckaneshiro@kauaipubco.com.
