Crime & Safety
St. Charles Man Lands in Prison for Sucker Punch to the Jaw
Gray has a history of criminal behavior, according to prosecutors.
A St. Charles man is headed to prison for five years after his conviction April 9 of two counts of aggravated battery for a “sucker punch” outside a St. Charles bar more than three years ago that left another man severely injured.
Circuit Judge Karen Simpson on Tuesday, July 2, 2013, sentenced Jack R. Gray, 29, of the 700 block of Westfield Drive, St. Charles, to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Gray’s April 9 conviction at the hands of a Kane County jury was for two Class 3 felony counts of aggravated battery.
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According to a release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, at about 1:40 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009, outside a tavern in the 200 block of West Main Street, St. Charles, Gray and a friend began to argue with the victim and his friend for an unknown reason. When the victim was turned away from Gray and unable to see him, Gray punched the victim with a closed fist in the left rear part of the victim’s jaw.
The victim fell unconscious to the sidewalk and fractured his skull. He was hospitalized in a coma for three days afterward, and continues to recover from the blow. The release states he suffered permanent hearing loss and ringing in his ears.
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Gray has a history of criminal behavior, according to prosecutors.
In 2003 in Kane County, Gray pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage to property, a Class 3 felony, from a 2001 arrest for damaging several vehicles, including a police car, and was sentenced to 24 months’ probation.
In 2004 in DuPage County, Gray pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony, from a 2002 arrest and was sentenced to probation. Gray failed to comply with terms of the sentence and was resentenced to four years in prison.
Under Illinois law, Gray is eligible for day-for-day sentencing. Gray receives credit for at least 86 days served in the Kane County Jail, where he has been held without bond since his conviction.
“It’s a shame Mr. Gray failed to learn that his antisocial behavior, if it continued, would come with a steep price. His poor decision, which needlessly put a man in the hospital, cost him his freedom for a couple of years,” Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said.
The case was prosecuted by Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Lori Anderson and investigated by the St. Charles Police Department.
SOURCE: Kane County State's Attorney's Office
