Lawrence man sentenced to more than 4 years in prison for his role in attacking 2 men in their 70s
photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World
A Lawrence man was sentenced Thursday to more than four years in prison for his role in a 2022 case that was originally charged as attempted second-degree murder of a man in his 70s.
The defendant, Shane Jamarr White, 46, entered a deal in June with the state in which he pleaded no contest to reduced charges: attempted aggravated battery and aggravated assault, both felonies. As part of the deal, the attempted murder charge was dropped, as were seven misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property for allegedly damaging the tires of multiple vehicles between February and April of 2022, as the Journal-World reported.
Thursday’s case relates to a domestic disturbance in May 2022 in southwest Lawrence, during which White is alleged to have attempted to harm with a knife a 73-year-old man with whom he has a familial relationship. Another relative, a 76-year-old man, became involved and “suffered an injury during the altercation, which is not believed to have been caused by the knife,” police said at the time.
The 76-year-old was taken to an area hospital via ambulance for treatment of injuries, and the 73-year-old was uninjured, police said.
Assistant District Attorney Adam Carey told the court Thursday that the victim in the case has failing health, is bed-ridden and had declined to be present for the sentencing.
White was supposed to face trial earlier this year but was deemed mentally incompetent to do so and spent some time at Larned State Hospital. He has been in custody for 835 days, or more than two years, and will be given credit for that time as he serves his prison sentence.
White, who was represented by attorney Dakota Loomis, chose not to speak at his sentencing.
Judge Amy Hanley, in line with the plea agreement, ordered White to spend 39 months in prison for the attempted aggravated battery and 12 months for the aggravated assault, to run consecutively, as requested by the state, for a total of 51 months, or 4.25 years.
White has previous convictions in Douglas County going back to 1999 for felony theft and burglary, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.