Guilty-plea deal rejected
It'll be trial for three woman accused of beating homeless vet into coma.
Three Olney women charged with taking three juveniles to beat a homeless veteran into a coma five months ago have rejected guilty-plea deals offered by the Philadelphia District Attorney's office.
Lawyers for Aleathea Gillard, 34; Shareena Joachim,23; and Kaisha Duggins, 24; on Tuesday rejected plea deals that would have included prison terms of 7 to 14 years, according to Assistant District Attorney Jason Kleinman.
Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Erdos set Sept. 30 for a pretrial scheduling conference for the three, who are charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, conspiracy and other charges for the April 7 attack on Robert Barnes, 51.
Police said Barnes and one of Gillard's children were at the Sunoco station at 5338 N. Fifth St. offering to pump patrons' gas for spare change. The juvenile later lied and told Gillard that Barnes had hit him and police said that prompted the three women and three juveniles to attack Barnes.
The April 7 attack was recorded by a surveillance video camera and shows Barnes being ambushed by six individuals who used Mace, a hammer, and a rocking-chair leg as weapons. Barnes suffered multiple skull fractures and broken bones, police said, and has never come out of a coma.
Prosecutors have said all will be charged with homicide if Barnes dies.
The three juveniles – two are Gillard's children and the third a friend – admitted to charges of aggravated assault and conspiracy and in July were sentenced to juvenile treatment facilities by a Philadelphia Family Court judge. The three were two boys, 14 and 13, and a girl, 10.