FARMINGTON — A Kingfield man pleaded no contest Tuesday and a Jay man pleaded guilty to charges in connection with destroying an all-terrain vehicle and beating up a Livermore man.

Jesse Coffin, 21, of Kingfield pleaded no contest in Franklin County Superior Court to felony charges of aggravated criminal mischief and assault with two priors stemming from an August 2010 case.

Justice Michaela Murphy found Coffin guilty on both charges. By pleading no contest, Coffin does not explicitly admit guilt, but subjects himself to punishment. The guilty conviction cannot be used against him in other proceedings.

Zebbie Thomas, 18, of Jay pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal mischief and assault. Thomas also pleaded guilty to criminal mischief for a different case that involved a window and door being damaged on Franklin Road in Jay last summer.

In the plea agreement with Coffin, the state dismissed felony arson, aggravated assault and violating condition of release charges. The agreement for Thomas dismissed arson, aggravated assault and theft charges.

According to District Attorneys James Andrews and Andrew Robinson, testimony would have shown that Thomas asked a Livermore man to drive him to Farmington where they picked up Coffin and another co-defendant Zachary Haines, 19, of Farmington. The Livermore man would testify that the three forced him to drive them wherever they wanted to go or they would beat him up, prosecutors said.

Advertisement

The victim would also testify that he drove them to the Whistle-Stop Trail where Coffin, Thomas and Haines pulled out an ATV that had been stolen and set it on fire by sticking a piece of paper in the gas tank and lighting it, prosecutors said .

The victim would also testify that eventually he was forced to drive them to the municipal parking lot behind Trantens in Farmington, and the three beat him up.

Brass knuckles were used in the beating but as of Tuesday, no one admitted to using them.

The victim drove himself to a hospital. A Farmington police officer went to the hospital where the victim was getting stitches. The officer would have testified there were injuries that were consistent with what would be caused with brass knuckles, prosecutors said.

Coffin disagreed with the state’s account of the case, especially that he was the one who used the brass knuckles on the victim. Coffin said he had taken 10 Xanax and had four or five 40-ounce beers and did not remember using brass knuckles.

Coffin said he remembered hitting him with an elbow and punching him twice. He said if he had hit him with the brass knuckles the victim would be dead. He admitted to owning brass knuckles.

Advertisement

Coffin said he also didn’t remember anything about the ATV.

“My two co-workers are saying I helped them,” Coffin said.

Justice Michaela Murphy told him a person can be guilty of a crime if they assist others in some way.

Coffin said he used no weapon during the beating.

Murphy told Coffin he could not plead guilty if he is not guilty. She said she could not accept the pleas. She told Coffin to meet with his attorney, Curtis Rice, to discuss the case more. The state ultimately changed the assault charge to include two priors and dropped the brass knuckles piece. Again Coffin pleaded no contest.

Robinson said Coffin’s priors were convictions of criminal threatening in 2009 and terrorizing in 2008.

Advertisement

Justice Murphy sentenced Coffin to serve nine months and a day of a three-year sentence to the Department of Corrections and two years probation on the aggravated criminal mischief charge. She ordered him to serve nine months and one day on the assault charge to run concurrent with the mischief charge.

Murphy sentenced Thomas to serve 90 days in jail for the Jay criminal mischief charge and a juvenile probation revocation charge.

The plea agreement also called for Thomas to be on a two-year deferred disposition on the felony charges of assault and aggravated criminal mischief. If he successfully completes the agreement, Thomas will be allowed to withdraw his guilty pleas to the felony charges and plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges.

Both men are required to pay restitution.

Haines is scheduled to appear in court on the aggravated criminal mischief and assault charges in June.

dperry@sunjournal


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.