Sucker Punch May Land St. Charles Man in Prison

A St. Charles man has been convicted of severely injuring a man when he sucker-punched him outside a bar more than three years ago, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.

A Kane County jury late Tuesday, April 9, 2013, convicted Jack R. Gray, 29, of the 700 block of Westfield Drive, St. Charles, of two counts of aggravated battery, each a Class 3 felony.

At about 1:40 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009, Gray and a friend began to argue with the victim and his friend outside a tavern in the 200 block of West Main Street, St. Charles, according to authorities. 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 his jaw.

The victim fell unconscious to the sidewalk and fractured his skull and was hospitalized in a coma for three days after the incident, according to the state’s attorney’s office. The victim continues to suffer permanent hearing loss and ringing in his ears, both attributed to the blow.

Circuit Judge Karen Simpson set Gray’s next court appearance for 9 a.m. May 28, 2013, in Courtroom 311 for post-trial motions and sentencing. Gray faces a sentence of probation or between two and five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Gray, who had been free on $3,500 bond, was taken into custody after the judge revoked his bond upon conviction.

State’s Attorney Joe McMahon, pointing to Gray’s criminal history, which has included probation and stints in prison, expressed disappointment that Gray does not appear to have learned from his mistakes.

Gray pleaded guilty in 2003 to one count of criminal damage to property, a Class 3 felony, from a 2001 arrest for damaging several vehicles, including a police car. He was sentenced to 24 months’ probation in the Kane County case.

Then, in 2004, he pleaded guilty in DuPage County to one count of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony, stemming from a 2002 arrest. Gray failed to comply with terms of his probation and was resentenced to four years in prison.

“It is disappointing that someone with this criminal history continues to make such bad decisions,” McMahon said. “We hope Mr. Gray realizes that opportunities for him to be productive in life are running out because of his destructive behavior and failure to learn from his poor choices.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Lori Anderson and Jonathan McKay and investigated by the St. Charles Police Department.