Golf Clubs

[Homicidalheathen]

Head cheese is gross. I can't even bring myself to try it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_cheese

Man sentenced in golf club slaying

By Sarah Cormier

C & G Staff Writer

MOUNT CLEMENS — The man convicted of killing Mount Clemens resident Steve Tocco with a golf club last August was sentenced on April 9 in Macomb County Circuit Court.

Alberto Barajas-Enriquez was sentenced by Macomb County Circuit Count Judge James Biernat to serve a minimum of 95 months to 20 years for one count of home invasion and for 57 months to 15 years for one count of manslaughter. A jury found him guilty of both counts on Feb. 14.

The sentences will run concurrently, something that defense lawyer Ronald Goldstein fought for.

“We have to look to the totality of the circumstances that occurred,” he said.

Prosecutor Steve Fox felt that the sentences should run consecutively.

“What other cases warrant consecutive sentences if this one does not?” he said.

However, after an approximately 20-minute deliberation, Biernat sided with Goldstein.

“The court is not to impose consecutive sentences,” he said, stating that he felt research he had done proved that that punishment wasn’t warranted.

Before the judge rendered his decision, both Barajas-Enriquez and a member of the victim’s family were allowed to make a statement.

Barajas-Enriquez asked the family to forgive what he had done.

“I never intended to cause harm in any way to anyone,” he said through an interpreter. “I want to ask the family for forgiveness.”

He added that he was willing to take his punishment.

“Just as God gives us the good things, I accept the bad also,” he said.

Tocco’s nephew described his uncle as a “loving, giving man” and said that the family was devastated by the loss.

“We hold the defendant responsible for his own actions,” he said, also requesting that the judge issue consecutive sentences.

“We ask that the court have no compassion for the defendant,” he said.

The judge said that he could not issue consecutive sentences because the Tocco family had not proven that anyone had suffered “severe psychological injury.” He did acknowledge, however, that the crime committed by Barajas-Enriquez “was criminal in the most vile manner.”

According to prosecutors, on the evening of Aug. 14, 2007, Barajas-Enriquez arrived at the apartment complex — located on Comet Street in Mount Clemens — where both he and Tocco were neighbors. It is believed that the two men then got into a dispute over a still undetermined matter related to the suspect's dog.

Police said that after the argument, Barajas-Enriquez left his apartment and allegedly removed a golf club from his truck, entered Tocco's home without permission, and struck him once in the head.

On Aug. 17, three days after the attack, Tocco died due to blunt-force trauma to the head.

(I have always wondered if a golf club to the head is as gross as I imagine it would be)