A 36-year-old Benton Harbor man should consider himself lucky to only be going away to prison for between three and 10 years according to Berrien County Trial Court Judge Arthur Cotter. Cotter sentenced 36-year-old Cornelius Newby yesterday for shooting Santrail Weatherspoon in the face in March. The victim was targeted because he was dating Newby’s ex-girlfriend, and managed to drive himself to Lakeland Hospital from Benton Harbor before passing out and spending two weeks in a coma. If Weatherspoon had died, it’s likely Newby would have spent the rest of his life in prison. The Herald Palladium reports that he apologized in court for his actions, saying he wishes he could “take it back” and that his kids are his priority. Cotter shot back to say while upset, he should have thought about his children before pulling the trigger.
