Homeless Man Slashes Tires In Hopes of Going to Prison for Medical Relief

[Zephie]

The homeless man accused of slashing tires on hundreds of cars in the Hyde Park neighborhood was found guilty by a jury Wednesday.

A Travis County jury convicted Tommy Joe Kelly on one count of unlawful use of a criminal instrument and sentenced him to 10 years in jail.

<snip>

When asked about it on the stand, Kelly said, "Ok, I'm going to tell you the truth on this one. It doesn't sound right, but it is. I have had hemorrhoids at that time, super duper bad."

Kelly told jurors he was hoping to go to jail because that's the only place he can get medical treatment.

http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_stories/281373/-hyde-park-tire-slasher--sentenced-to-10-years

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There is a video at the link as well. Heartbreaking.

[Amonester]

1. Jeebus....

This is what happens when human beings get desperate.

Eff the greedy bastards and their bought-and-paid-for lackeys. :grr:

[Sirveri]

2. 10 YEARS for slashing tires? Really?

Send him to jail for a few months, but for 10 years for what amounts to a few hundred dollars is insane.

[sakabatou]

5. That sounds insane

Unless he has some priors. I dunno.

[Sirveri]

6. Actually, 391 tires now that I read it, less insane.

[sakabatou]

9. Yes, less insane.

[Duer 157099]

3. He shoulda robbed a bank instead

Now some hundreds of people have to replace their tires, people who probably can't afford it.

[Sirveri]

7. rob the police station would be even better.

[Bozita]

10. A laid-off, homeless auto engineer did that in Macomb Co, MI a few years back.

Home was foreclosed, unemployment checks ran out, winter was coming and he needed medical care.

Guy was in his late 50s.

He robbed a bank, went outside, sat on the curb and waited for the cops.

[sakabatou]

4. What a sad country we're in where people try to go to jail for medical treatment

[Obamanaut]

8. It's also sad that we feel sorry for a vandal who damaged property that

many times over such a length of time.

From the article at the link in the OP: "Kelly never admitted to slashing the tires of at least 391 cars in Hyde Park over the past four years, but he did confirm he was arrested at least twice in the past for slashing tires in the same area with a knife."