More than a year following an assault outside of Anna Maria Elementary in Holmes Beach, two young men have been imprisoned.
Judge Stephen Whyte of the 12th Judicial Circuit ruled Oct. 12 to adjudicate Ellenton resident John Bartholow, 18, guilty of a second-degree felony for aggravated battery with great bodily harm.
Whyte sentenced Bartholow — who ultimately pleaded no contest to the charge — to serve three years in state prison, one year in community control and six years of probation.
The sentence also subjects Bartholow to mental health and substance abuse evaluation and treatment, completion of an anger management course and 100 hours of public service.
The sentence for a second-degree felony charge could have resulted in up to 15 years in prison, 15 years of probation and a $10,000 fine.
Bartholow was one of the young men involved in the March 23, 2022, assault outside AME, 4700 Gulf Drive, that sent resident Evan Purcell, 41, to the hospital with serious injuries.
The Holmes Beach Police Department identified Bartholow and Sarasota resident Cameron Evans, 20, as well as an unnamed juvenile, in connection to the attack.
The three were arrested within a month and, while the juvenile was released to family, Bartholow and Evans went to jail under $50,000 bonds and charged with second-degree felonies for aggravated assault.
In March, Whyte found Evans guilty of the charge and gave him a similar sentence to the one later given to Bartholow: 36 months in prison, one year of community control and six years of probation, as well as completion of a mental health evaluation and public service requirements.
With 322 days credited for time incarcerated before conviction, Evans will be eligible for release from prison to community control by April 2025.
Community control is an alternative to incarceration that allows convicted felons to live at home and travel to a set of locations approved by a supervisor.
Bartholow’s sentence is similar to Evans’ sentence but there are differences, such as requirements to write a letter of apology to Purcell and to “make good faith efforts” to work full time or apply for at least two jobs a week.
Bartholow has been in and out of jail since his arrest, resulting in another conviction and additional pending charges.
He initially pleaded not guilty to the assault charge and posted $50,000 bond April 21, 2022. He was released into the Manatee County Probation Department’s pretrial services program.
However, he was arrested again in May 2022 on a third-degree felony charge for criminal mischief.
Bartholow pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on a $1,500 bond the same month.
He was arrested a third time in September 2022 for alleged contempt of court by resisting/obstructing a law enforcement officer without violence but was released after he posted another $50,000 bond in October 2022.
Bartholow was arrested a fourth time in December 2022 on nine third-degree felony charges — three for burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and six for attempted burglary of an unoccupied conveyance. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
While the burglary charges remain contested, Bartholow dropped his initial not-guilty pleas and pleaded no contest in the assault and criminal mischief cases.
Whyte determined sentences for both cases at the Oct. 12 hearing.
He found Bartholow guilty of the third-degree felony charge for criminal mischief and sentenced him to three years in prison, one year in community control and one year of probation.
The assault and criminal mischief sentences will run concurrently instead of consecutively, meaning Bartholow will serve both sentences at the same time.
Bartholow was required to surrender himself for imprisonment by Oct. 18.
A case management hearing for the nine third-degree felony burglary charges will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
Punishment for a third-degree felony charge includes up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a fine of up to $5,000.