A courtroom in Kansas, US, witnessed a heated brawl between the families of the accused and the victim after the mother of a murdered teenager requested that the court pronounce a strict sentence on her son’s murderer.
Speaking at the court before the sentencing, Jeanette Dees, the grieving mother of a 14-year-old Kansas boy, TrenJ’vious “Tubby” Hutton, asked the judge for “maximum possible sentence” to convicted killer Te’Bryis Robinson, 19, for his crime. This sparked anger among the Robinson family present in the courtroom, who started hurling abuses at the Dees family.
According to a local news channel, KWCH, the brawl between Jeanette Dees and the kin of the murderer soon turned into a fist fight inside the Sedgwick County Courthouse on April 8. The incident was caught on a courtroom camera.
The viral video shows a member of the Dees family getting up from his seat in the courtroom and punching a member of Robinson’s family in the face.
The punch spiralled into a full-blown showdown between both families in the middle of the courtroom, with Jeanette Dees and court officers attempting to quell the violence.
Here’s what happened:
According to the KWCH report, the fight broke out after Jeanette Dee’s statement before the court, where she asked the judge to deliver the “maximum possible sentence” for her son’s killer. She also allegedly directed angry comments at her son’s murderer and the Robison family and friends in the room.
Her comments caused a stir in the courtroom, which led to insults and gestures being flung around. Soon after, the first punch was thrown, and everything went downhill from there on.
The judge kicked out several people out of the courtroom after the commotion.
How did the court sentence murderer Te’Bryis Robinson?
The judge sentenced Te’Bryis Robinson to 21 years and 3 months in prison for the murder of Tubby.
According to the KWCH report, Jeanette Dees and five others were also charged with disorderly conduct. This misdemeanour could result in a maximum punishment of one month in prison and a $500 fine for Jeanette and others.