LIHU‘E — A man originally charged with attempted murder for stabbing two acquaintances last May in Hanalei’s Ching Young Village was sentenced last week to five years in prison after pleading guilty to lesser charges earlier this year. Arial Star,
LIHU‘E — A man originally charged with attempted murder for stabbing two acquaintances last May in Hanalei’s Ching Young Village was sentenced last week to five years in prison after pleading guilty to lesser charges earlier this year.
Arial Star, 23, known by his nickname “Oki,” earned a pair of five-year sentences for his two second-degree assault convictions, but the sentences are scheduled to run concurrently, according to court records. He will receive credit for time served.
In a January phone interview, victim Patrick Coan said a five-year sentence — the maximum allowed for a Class C felony — would be “way too lenient.”
During a District Court hearing last year, witnesses testified that Star had arrived at the shopping center hoping to obtain his iPod from an ex-girlfriend. When the argument escalated into a brawl, Star pulled out a three- to four-inch folding knife, eventually stabbing Coan near his left elbow and his back.
Coan said he spent five days in the hospital bleeding from his lung, noting his arm is permanently damaged and he still does not have full use of his hand. The ex-girlfriend also suffered a five-inch laceration on her left forearm in the incident, leading to an assault charge.
The attempted murder charge was reduced to another second-degree assault count in exchange for Star’s guilty plea because evidence, including extensive video surveillance, led prosecutors to believe Star never took a substantial step toward causing Coan’s death, the burden necessary to sustain attempted murder.
• Michael Levine, assistant news editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or via e-mail at mlevine@kauaipubco.com
