Cain Velasquez took duty for his actions whereas giving a press release in court docket on Monday previous to a decide handing him a five-year jail sentence after pleading no-contest on tried homicide costs.
The ex-UFC heavyweight champion, who was first arrested again in February 2022, was allowed to talk in court docket earlier than Choose Arthur Bocanegra issued his sentence. Velasquez confronted quite a few felony costs after he went on an 11-mile excessive pace chase pursuing a automobile and firing a handgun at a automobile that contained Harry Goularte, the person accused of molesting the fighter’s younger son at a daycare owned by his mom.
Ultimately, Goularte’s stepfather Paul Bender was struck by a bullet however sustained non-life threatening accidents earlier than Velasquez was arrested with out incident. Addressing the court docket on Monday, Velasquez apologized for his actions.
“I’m really sorry,” Velasquez mentioned in court docket, per quite a few experiences. “My actions had been reckless and intensely harmful. I’m ashamed and regretful for a way I dealt with myself on the day of my crime.
“Out of all this, I want protected therapeutic for my household, and to the Goulartes, I want protected therapeutic, and to the neighborhood, I want protected therapeutic.”
Prosecutors within the case had been looking for a 30 12 months to life sentence for Velasquez, whereas his protection attorneys argued for time served and probation.
Ultimately, Bocanegra sided with much less punishment whereas noting that as a lot as Velasquez wanted to pay for his crime, his household was additionally victimized along with his younger son’s involvement within the alleged baby molestation case.
Whereas Velasquez was sentenced to 5 years in jail, he additionally will get credit score for 1,283 days already served, which counts his previous time in jail in addition to the time he spent on home arrest.
It’s anticipated that Velasquez finally serves lower than two years in jail and maybe even much less relying on credit score he could obtain for good conduct.
Velasquez, who was flanked by family and friends within the courtroom, was allowed a second along with his spouse and kids earlier than he was remanded into custody to start his sentence.
