Posts Tagged As: Gay Bashing

Knott still thinks she’s above punishment

Timothy Kincaid

February 18th, 2016

knottLast September, a dozen or so good Catholic school alumni were out for a night of getting drunk and having a fine ol’ time when they decided that it would be awfully fun to gang up on a gay couple and beat them while screaming homophobic slurs. Having had their jollies, they left the couple bleeding on the sidewalk, and all set off to celebrate at a bar, big smiles on their faces.

But as this was 2015, security cameras abound and soon three of the assailants were in custody.

Two of them pled guilty, expressed remorse, and agreed to community service. But Kathryn Knott, a blond pretty daughter of a local police chief decided that she’d fight the charges. Surely a jury would take her word over that of a couple of, well, you know.

The jury listened to her character witnesses tell of what an angel Kathryn is, her dramatic “I’m sorry for what happened to you” to the victims, and her protestations that she was only there to break up the fight. They also heard and the testimony of the victims, witnesses who saw her swing punches, and her history of homophobic and other hate-filled tweets. In the end, they decided that not only was Kathryn Knott guilty, she’s also a horrible person.

Her counsel had argued that she shouldn’t receive punishment because people had already said mean things about her, and surely that’s punishment enough. But the judge was equally not a fan and on Monday, the 8th, gave her sentence. (6ABC)

Common Pleas Judge Roxanne Covington questioned how then-hospital worker Kathryn Knott walked away from the victims as one lay badly injured in September 2014.

She also ordered the 25-year-old Knott, whose online posts have insulted gays, non-English speakers, Middle Easterners and hospital patients alike, to get anger management treatment and stay out of Philadelphia during two years of probation.

“While these were homophobic slurs that started this incident, it could have been any type of hate speech,” said the judge, who said she herself might have been attacked walking with her girlfriend or sister. “It could have been anyone.”

She sentence Knott to 5 to 10 months in jail.

But, as we already know, Knott isn’t fond of being punished for her actions. And it’s just not fair.

The other two who admitted their guilt, expressed remorse, and negotiated their punishment received a lesser sentence. Surely Knott, being blond and pretty, should be able to have a do-over and now accept the same deal she had already rejected.

Or how about this, instead of going to jail, Knott could go on TV. There she could tell everyone that it’s a very bad thing to beat gay couples and leave them unconscious on the ground with a broken jaw.

How’s that? It could be two-fer. Not only would she not be in jail, but people might start to like her instead of say all those meany mean things about her. (Philly)

As an alternative to being locked up, attorney William Brennan suggested that 25-year-old Knott could perform a public-service announcement “where she could take the infamy of the arrest and maybe heal some wounds.”

But if Knott wanted to heal wounds, she could have done so right after she caused them, while her victims were laying there in front of her. And television celebrity is not punishment for inhumane and criminal behavior.

Gay basher found guilty

Timothy Kincaid

December 18th, 2015

knott Does this look like the face of an innocent woman? It’s not, it’s Kathryn Knott.

Kathryn was out drinking with 14 of her good friends from her Catholic high school last September in downtown Philadelphia when the group ran into a gay couple. So they decided that they’d beat them while screaming homophobic slurs. One of the couple was knocked unconscious and left with broken cheekbones and a fractured upper jaw that needed to be wired shut for eight weeks.

Perhaps they forgot that anything that is done on a street in a major city is likely to show up on a surveillance camera. So they just went on to the next bar and thought nothing of it. Until their faces were flashed across the screens of everyone watching the news.

The prosecutors isolated three of the participants to charge with assault and conspiracy. Two of them, Philip Williams and Kevin Harrigan, plead guilty to assault and conspiracy. They got off pretty easy. (Philly.com)

Philip Williams, 24, of Warminster, and Kevin Harrigan, 26, of Warrington, were both sentenced to probation, community service at a LGBTQ center yesterday before Common Pleas Court. Both men will also voluntarily stay out of Center City as part of their probation deal, though an attorney for one admitted it would be difficult to enforce.

But the third assailant decided that punishment – even light punishment – was for fools and suckers. After all, she’s a pretty blonde girl whose daddy is a chief of police in one of the nearby suburbs.

So Kathryn Knott decided to fight her arrest in court.

And so for the past several days, a jury has heard character witness say that she’s lovely and non-violent. Others in the party all claimed that they didn’t see her throw a punch. And she swore, up and down, that she only tried to stop the fight. And never ever ever did she hurl homophobic slurs. No, not her.

But they also heard the victims tell that she did, indeed, throw punches and scream slurs. And several witnesses did as well.

Then there was Knott’s social media history which suggested that she held animus towards gay people.

And, after three days of deliberation, the jury just didn’t find her believable. (Philly Voice)

After a series of contentious, “heated” deliberations, a Philadelphia jury returned a mixed verdict Friday in the assault trial of Kathryn Knott, finding the Bucks County woman guilty of simple assault and conspiracy to commit simple assault against Zachary Hesse, one of two victims beaten as they walked to get pizza in Center City on Sept. 11, 2014.

Knott also was found guilty of reckless endangerment against both Hesse and his boyfriend, Andrew Haught, but acquitted of aggravated assault, a felony and the most serious charge against her.

Several on the jury were fighting for a guilty charge on all counts. And though they disagreed as to the extent of her culpability, jurors found Knott’s demeanor, obvious lies, and lack of remorse to be disgusting.

Kathryn Knott will receive her sentencing on February 8. Having put the victims through the trauma of reliving the event and having taken jurors away from their lives and insulted them with lies, I sincerely hope that Knott’s sentence is significantly more severe than that of her fellow assailants who admitted their crimes and expressed remorse for their actions.

Are Pittsburgh police stalling on gay bashing?

Timothy Kincaid

October 8th, 2013

Sometimes you read something wrong. Then you read it again wrong. Then you get all indignant and snarky and write a commentary.

And then someone points out that you read it wrong and you feel kinda stupid.

This is one of those times.

Sorry, folks, no story here.

    

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