May 02, 2022 • 11 hours ago • 4 minutes reading Robert Ashley Williams, left and Dereck Szaflarski
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The community can learn from the “absurd” death of Dereck Szaflarski, the judge said.
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On weekends and closing hours in London’s busiest entertainment district, when it is “full of people under the influence of alcohol and other substances”, the mood can flare up for the slightest reason. “Conflicts of any kind can become the toxic cocktail that leaves many vulnerable to harming people and ruining lives,” said Supreme Court Justice Michael McArthur. “Exactly what happened here.” Szaflarski, a popular personal trainer and friend of many, was stabbed to death by 39-year-old Robert Ashley Williams, who was convicted of second-degree murder by a jury last month. On Monday, McArthur sentenced Williams to life without parole for 10 years, the minimum legal impossibility of being released from prison.
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Williams has been in custody for four days after Szaflarski was stabbed in the heart after a brief, accidental altercation between two strangers in a storefront on Richmond Street near Piccadilly on May 26, 2018. Williams has to build six more years in prison until he can file his first request for release. This photo, presented in court as evidence, shows the scene at Richmond Row in central London, hours after a late-night collision in May 2018 that led to the death of Dereck Szaflarski with a knife. What impressed McArthur was how quickly the night turned violent and how Szaflarski lost his life in “literally a moment in time, just seconds” after a happy night celebrating his 27th birthday. “It was nothing more than an unbridled attack by Mr Williams and Mr Saflarski on each other. “Neither of them was looking for a fight that night,” McArthur said. Williams was driving south to Richmond as he was closing in on the entertainment area when Szaflarski, who was out with two girlfriends, crossed the street in Piccadilly in front of Williams’s white Nissan sedan. Williams and Szaflarski started shouting at each other, leading Williams to stop his car, get out and head to the west sidewalk, where he pulled out a knife and locked the blade in place.
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Szaflarski ran back to the street and rushed Williams to the lobby of the store where they had a brief fight. Williams stabbed Szaflarski five times before the two men separated. Szaflarski tripped over his friends, where he collapsed. He was rushed to hospital but died of blood loss. Williams hurried away from the area and ended up in a friend’s apartment, where he changed clothes. He and his wife, Julie Hudson, then went to St. Louis General Hospital. Thomas Elgin for emergency care. He needed surgery on his injured hand in a London hospital. He turned himself in to police four days later. The day after Williams was sentenced by the court, several friends read statements about the impact of the victims on the first day of Williams’ sentencing hearing, recounting their close friendship with Saflarski and his optimistic, enthusiastic embrace of life.
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More statements about the impact of the victims were read by Crown Assistant attorney James Spangenberg on Monday, including one of Saflaski’s mother, Karen, who wrote: “There is not a single person I know who did not love Derek.” She wrote about her coming to London in the days after her son’s death and how his friends helped her watch his last moments along Richmond Rowe. She was unable to attend the trial in person and described how difficult it was to attend the hearing on her son’s death via teleconference from the courtroom. “This was so devastating,” he wrote. “My life will never be the same.” Spangenberg proposed a 17-year term for failing to release him, arguing that Williams’s use of a knife, his post-crime behavior and his irrelevant criminal record for drug trafficking in the United States pushed the sentence to a higher level for murder.
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However, McArthur agreed with defense attorney Chris Uwagboe that the probation period should be low because, as McArthur said, Williams came to court as “sociable, affectionate, and networked.” friends “and” this event was unusual and was very out of character of Mr. Williams “. Uwagboe also relied on what the jury recommended. When asked to decide how long the probation period should be, the five said 15 years, but the other seven did not comment, “which means that the court should not deal with any recommendation for up to 10 years.” “If this case were a model of dangerous behavior and continued use of weapons, this court would have no hesitation in considering increased periods of eligibility for release, as recommended by the Crown. That is not the case here, “said McArthur. But he added: “It’s a costly lesson for you, Mr Williams, and it should be a clear message to those who rely on good luck more than good reason. “Literally anyone and everyone is vulnerable when the restriction is abandoned.” McArthur told Williams he hoped to “make the most of it” and make compensation for. . . the type of damage and destruction that has occurred as a result of incorrect estimates and in seconds. “It is a very, very tragic event,” the judge said. [email protected] twitter.com/JaneatLFPress
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