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Vaughn convicted in near-fatal beating on East Side
By joe gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A jury took about two hours Thursday to convict a man of a severe beating on an East Side street in April.
Terrell Vaughn, 35, was found guilty in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court of felonious assault for the attack on Emil Smith, 41, who was beaten by three men April 21 and is now in a wheelchair because of his injuries.
Vaughn is expected to be sentenced today by Judge R. Scott Krichbaum.
Vaughn originally was charged with attempted murder, but prosecutors amended the charge to felonious assault because they weren’t sure if they could prove Vaughn intended to kill Smith, said Assistant Prosecutor Nick Brevata.
Brevata thanked the jury and also lauded Smith’s girlfriend, Robin Wheaton, who testified and also identified Vaughn for police initially.
Wheaton testified Wednesday that Smith had been drinking most of the day when the pair decided to go out to eat in Hubbard. She said Smith stopped his car in the middle of the street to fix the radio. An SUV with three men inside came behind them and honked the horn for Smith to move out of the way.
Smith made an obscene gesture, and one of the men, who she said was Vaughn, got out and began hitting Smith before the other two men jumped in. Those other two men have not been caught.
Vaughn said he was innocent and rejected a plea deal that called for a four-year prison term. He faces a maximum of eight years in prison when he is sentenced.
Doug King, Vaughn’s lawyer, said Vaughn insists he is innocent and plans to appeal. King questioned Wheaton’s identification of Vaughn during the trial.
The trial began Wednesday and had just three witnesses: Wheaton, Smith and Youngstown police Detective Sgt. David Sweeney, the lead investigator on the case.