Sucker punch leaves bar manager in coma
A sucker punch could cost a US man 30 years behind bars after it earned him his 14th conviction.
Hugo Montero represented himself in a Miami court but could not convince jurors to ignore the punch that left a bar manager in a coma with severe brain injuries.
The Miami-Dade Country Court found Montero guilty on Tuesday thanks, in large part, to a video showing the moment he struck 38-year-old Felipe Estevez in the head.
Despite the serious crime and the high stakes for Montero, the Miami Herald reports bizarre scenes in court after the violent criminal refused a lawyer and filed six requests for a speedy trial.
When shown video evidence of his attack on Estevez, Montero reportedly asked, “Is that Vin Diesel?” upon seeing himself.
He went on to describe the prosecutor as a 'pit bull who’s questions 'hit it on the head'.
Montero had earlier introduced himself to the jury as having recently been imprisoned for four months.
The trial came after an incident in June when Montero, freshly released from prison after police dropped a car jacking charge, was asked to leave the Foxhole Bar at Miami Beach.
He had been harassing a woman in the bar.
Video shown to the court shows Montero outside of the bar, pacing and threatening to kill people, the Miami Herald reported.
Shortly afterwards he struck Estevez in the temple, knocking him out and leaving him in a week-long coma. Estevez was later re-admitted to hospital for bleeding on the brain.
The victim told the court he still has difficulty speaking, has blurred vision and tinnitus.
It took the jury 27 minutes to convict Montero.
He now faces up to 30 years behind bars as a 'violent felony offender'.
