Oglesby man gets probation, jail time in hammer attack

An Oglesby man was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months probation for striking a man with a miniature sledgehammer. Darnell Williams must, however, serve a month in jail.

When offered a chance to speak in La Salle County Circuit Court, the 31-year-old rose and apologized in a quavering voice.

“I understand that my behavior was not acceptable,” Williams said. “I have taken full responsibility for my actions.”

He then choked up and managed, “I know that I cannot change what I have done,” before breaking down. His lawyer tendered the written statement in allocution to Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr., who read the statement silently.

The judge opted for supervised probation and assorted conditions including no contact with the victim.

The judge did, however, tack on a period of incarceration. Williams must report to La Salle County Jail next week to serve 30 days, with no day-for-day good time.

Williams was charged after La Salle police responded to a fight at 8:34 a.m. Jan. 1 in the 800 block of Bucklin Street. There, a 33-year-old Ottawa man had sustained a blow to the left side of his head – leaving what prosecutors termed a “major injury to his ear” – with a mini sledgehammer.

Williams later entered a blind plea to one count of aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony carrying two to five years in prison but with the possibility of probation.

At sentencing, Assistant La Salle County State’s Attorney Matt Kidder acknowledged that Williams had made some “positive steps” with respect to his personal issues but that the state could not look past the nature of the offense.

“It’s obviously a violent crime – very concerning – and it did cause a very serious injury with a lot of trauma,” Kidder said, asking Ryan to impose a minimum prison sentence.

But Williams’ lawyer pointed out the offense dovetailed with some mental health issues that were not yet resolved. Williams’ pre-sentence investigation report is under court seal but it was clear, from open-court statements, that Williams had undergone mental health treatment shortly before the incident – and before follow-up treatment could be provided.

Since then, defense attorney Daniel Radakovich said, Williams “has, in fact, been doing quite well.”

“This is a serious matter – we’re not trying to minimize this – (but) we suggest to the court this is something not likely to reoccur,” he said.