COLUMBIANA CO. Pa. golfer found guilty of assault

The victim in the case was stabbed several times with a broken putter.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A Pennsylvania golfer faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail after a jury found him guilty of assaulting another man during a golf course brawl.
Judge C. Ashley Pike of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court will sentence Craig Carr, 40, of Rochester on May 17.
Judge Pike oversaw the trial, which began Tuesday and concluded about midday Friday with the guilty verdict.
Carr was charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony that bears a maximum eight-year prison sentence.
But Judge Pike allowed the jury to also consider the less serious assault charge, a first-degree misdemeanor.
After deliberating half a day Thursday and half a day Friday, the jury found Carr innocent of the felony charge but guilty of the lesser offense.
What happened: Authorities say Carr was golfing with a group about 8:30 p.m. July 6 at the Turkana Golf Course in St. Clair Township.
Carr's group was playing ahead of another group that included Howard Williams, 37, an off-duty Wellsville police officer.
An argument broke out between the two groups when Williams' group complained about the slow play of Carr's group.
Near the green on the 7th hole, the exchange become physical as four men, including Carr and Williams, began fighting.
During the fight, Carr, who insisted he was acting in self-defense, clubbed Williams with a putter, which broke on impact.
Was stabbed: As the fight continued, Williams was stabbed seven times on his upper torso with the broken putter. He also suffered a broken wrist during the melee.
Williams was taken to the hospital, where he received stitches for the stab wounds and was kept overnight.
Carr and his group left the scene. But the license number of their vehicle was noted, leading police to Carr.