Jail Term, Restitution Given In Brick Assault

Sat., Sept. 19, 1998

From Staff

A Spokane man who smashed a teenage boy in the head with a brick was sentenced Friday to nine months in jail.

Dale A. Simmons, 18, also was ordered to pay $91,000 in restitution to Theodore Stewart, who languished in a coma for three weeks after the attack.

Stewart underwent facial reconstruction surgery and intense rehabilitation after the attack, Deputy Prosecutor Larry Steinmetz said.

A Superior Court jury convicted Simmons of second-degree assault last month. The standard sentencing range for such a conviction is six to 12 months.

The attack occurred on Jan. 9 at a house in the West 2000 block of Sinto. Both men were at the house when a female friend of Simmons told him that Stewart, 17, had choked her.

Simmons went outside, talked to Stewart briefly, then hit him with the brick. Simmons claimed Stewart attacked him first, and that he acted in self-defense.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.