UNION, Maine — A Union man who fired a gun near a basketball court while drunk will be getting out of jail after admitting to several offenses.
Joshua Bennett pleaded guilty Monday in Knox County Unified Court to aggravated criminal mischief, criminal mischief, reckless conduct and discharging a firearm near a residence.
Justice Daniel Billings accepted the agreement reached between the district attorney’s office and the defense attorney, and he sentenced Bennett to two years in jail with all but 55 days suspended. Bennett also was placed on probation for two years with the condition that he not consume alcohol nor possess firearms. He also must not contact the neighbors.
The sentence means Bennett, who has been held at the Knox County Jail since his arrest in May, will be released.
When Bennett was arrested in May, police said he had been firing a gun in the vicinity of children playing basketball. Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Baroody acknowledged Monday that no children were outside on the basketball court when the shots were fired.
Defense attorney William Pagnano said his client was target shooting. He said that Bennett became obnoxious and that this was an alcohol-related offense.
The prosecutor said that after Bennett was arrested, he banged his head repeatedly against the cage of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office cruiser and got blood all over the interior. The cruiser was taken out of service in order to clean it thoroughly. When at the jail, Bennett broke a telephone when he was not allowed to make another phone call.