A Gary man unleashed a profanity-filled outburst that added one year for contempt of court to his sentence for armed robbery and battery.
Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas cautioned Richard Devon Smith, 23, when he started using profanities at his sentencing hearing Wednesday, but Smith was undeterred.
The string of profanities continued as bailiffs escorted him out of the courtroom. Cappas imposed two 180-day sentences for contempt, for which Smith will receive no time cut for good behavior while incarcerated. He also imposed a sentence of 10 years and six months, with the last one year and six months served in Lake County Community Corrections.
The victim of an armed robbery on Jan. 11, 2016, at Premium Liquors in Highland, said the robbery changed her.
“Richard Smith didn’t just point a gun at my head and take the money and my cellphone. He left me with fear, a fear that will not go away,” the woman said. Although the robbery was 18 months ago, the woman said she still experiences nightmares as a result.
Smith also admitted he punched a correctional officer who was one of two officers who were escorting Smith back to his cell on Aug. 18, 2016, at the Lake County Jail, then threw a blanket over the officer and struck him again in the face.
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Deputy prosecutor Eric Randall argued for the maximum sentences outlined in the plea agreement, nine years on the armed robbery and 18 months on the battery. Randall cited Smith’s “jam-packed criminal history” dating to when he was 13 years old as an aggravating factor.
Ruth Ann Krause is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.