by Jamie Belnap

STAFF WRITER

A Grantsville man pled guilty to assault in 3rd District Court Tuesday in connection with the February 2007 beating of his brother-in-law after a Super Bowl party.

According to police, an altercation over a truck led to 33-year-old Troy Jones hitting Gary Cunningham, 33, of Springville, hard enough to crush his sinus cavity. A passerby called police and Jones was arrested for aggravated assault and public intoxication. Both men had been drinking at a party at a Hale Street residence in Grantsville.

Cunningham told Judge Mark Kouris he was in a coma for 13 days following the fight.

"Feb. 4, 2007, was a life-changing experience for me and my family," Cunningham said just prior to Jones' sentencing. "I spent three months in the hospital and had to learn to walk and talk again."

Jones' attorney, Jon Williams, said what happened to Cunningham was not intentional, and the prosecution agreed.

"There was not intent to create the damage," said Deputy Tooele County Attorney Gary Searle, the prosecutor in the case.

Jones originally pled not guilty to the charges back in November, but changed his plea Tuesday to guilty to simple assault -- a class A misdemeanor, amended from being a third-degree felony. The other charge was dismissed.

Jones was sentenced to one year in the Tooele County Jail, but all of that time was suspended and instead Jones was put on 36 months probation and ordered to pay whatever portion of Cunningham's medical bills that are not covered by insurance.

jamieb@tooeletranscript.com