Closure was a long time coming for a Cortez man.
A jury found David Nichols guilty Sept. 7 of two felonies in a 2019 hit-and-run that left a Cortez man critically injured.
Nichols, 60, of Bradenton, was convicted of battery with a weapon and leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury. Both crimes are felonies.
The jury deliberated for 75 minutes before delivering its verdict, said prosecutor assistant State Attorney Garrett Franzen.
Jurors in a December 2022 trial were deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial.
The second trial for Nichols began Sept. 5 and concluded Sept. 7.
In the second trial, Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Ricci testified that in November 2019 Nichols dragged Gilliland under his vehicle for more than 271 feet on 101st Street West.
Gilliland, known around Cortez as “Fat Freddy,” sustained life-threatening injuries, including loss of his right arm and spleen, a lacerated liver, rib fractures, a collapsed lung and facial and skin lacerations.
He works part-time at a fish market in Cortez where he remains upbeat among his many friends in the commercial fishing community. He was many months in recovery and rehab before being able to work.
Twelfth Circuit Judge Fredrick Mercurio presided over the trial and Nichols was represented by chief assistant public defender Jennifer Joynt-Sanchez.
Nichol’s sentencing will be Friday, Oct. 13, at the judicial center in Bradenton.
“His maximum exposure will be 30 years,” Franzen said. “The felony battery with a weapon is a second-degree felony and leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injuries is a second-degree felony. Both are punishable by 15 years and, if the judge chose to, he could run them consecutive for a total of 30 years.”
Nichols has been in custody at the Manatee County jail since Oct. 25, 2022, after being denied reinstatement of $150,000 bond stemming from an October 2022 citation for allegedly driving with a suspended license. The citation was a violation of the conditions of his pretrial release.
“We are pleased with the jury’s verdict and their attention during the trial and very thankful to the work of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and helping us get the evidence we needed to successfully prosecute this case,” Franzen said.
Deb Light, Gilliland’s friend and caregiver, said Gilliland did not want to speak to the press but was grateful to Art Brown and Franzen of the state attorney’s office for their hard work.
“He’s grateful that justice has been served,” Light said. “We’ve been waiting four years for justice. I’ve been with Fred since the day he went to the ICU Burn Unit for two months, then to Casa Mora for six months for rehab. We have been friends a very long time. I’ve seen him go through hell. … You could not meet a nicer guy. The spirit this man has is unbelievable, considering what he’s been through.”