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Man gets two years for Boardman arson
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A judge agreed Thursday that Patrick Patterson has some mental-health issues. But he also added he showed some pre-planning in setting the fire to which he pleaded guilty.
That is one of the reasons why Judge Anthony D’Apolito agreed with a recommendation by prosecutors in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court and sentenced Patterson, 24, to two years in prison for a March 11, 2016, fire that damaged a Cook Avenue apartment in Boardman.
The fire came after an argument with a 50-year-old person Patterson was romantically involved with at the time.
Patterson pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated arson, a second-degree felony.
Assistant Prosecutor Nick Brevetta asked for prison time, saying that since the time of the fire, Patterson, who has served 283 days in jail awaiting the outcome of his case, has been badgering the victim.
Brevetta said he has received several phone calls complaining of Patterson’s behavior.
At one point, Brevetta said, Patterson threatened to “jump off a bridge.”
Brevetta said he would not oppose a request for judicial release from prison for Patterson if he behaves while there, but he said Patterson needs to be locked up not just for the community’s safety, but for Patterson’s safety as well.
“To be quite honest, your honor, the only time I don’t get calls about Mr. Patterson is when he is in the Mahoning County jail,” Brevetta said.
Defense attorney Walter Ritchie argued against prison, saying his client has mental-health issues and his client’s thinking during the argument was clouded because he was in a relationship with the victim.
“He didn’t handle this dispute very well,” Ritchie said.
Judge D’Apolito said that he understands domestic situations can be volatile and can cloud a person’s thinking, but he said what bothered him was that Patterson shattered the windshield of a car with a brick and also threatened to set the fire, then actually went ahead and did it.
“That’s not in the heat of the moment,” Judge D’Apolito said.
Judge D’Apolito said he would consider a request for judicial release after Patterson serves six months of his prison sentence.
He said he wants to set up a structure so when Patterson gets out of prison he could receive counseling and mental-health help he needs to be a productive member of the community.
The judge said some punishment was necessary, however, because the fire could have been a lot more serious than it was.