DandC - "The Pittsford man who admitted beating his roommate with a baseball bat in March has been sentenced to six years in prison.
James Peppers, 67, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to first-degree assault, admitting that he repeatedly struck his roommate with a baseball bat during an argument in their shared South Street home on March 28, said Assistant District Attorney Bill Gargan. The two men were in a relationship at the time, Gargan said.
Monroe County Court Judge Sam Valleriani on Friday morning sentenced Peppers to six years in prison and 2 ½ years post-release supervision.
"Domestic violence reaches into every community," Gargan said after Friday's sentencing, and urged other victims of domestic violence to report abuse when it occurs. "You never want people to fear that the police or the District Attorney's Office won't listen to what happened to them."
Sheriff's spokesman Cpl. John Helfer in March said it appeared that Peppers and his roommate, a 54-year-old Pittsford man, were arguing throughout the evening. The altercation became physical when the men punched one another. The younger man, whose name was not released, sat down in a chair. Peppers was accused of repeatedly hitting the man in the head with a baseball bat, Helfer said.
Deputies alleged that Peppers continued to hit the younger man as he lay on the ground.
The roommate suffered severe injuries, including fractures to his face, and was hospitalized for several weeks.
"The victim is doing better but is not the same person," Gargan said. "He has residual effects, physically and emotionally. It's a miracle he survived.""