Syracuse, NY - Bail was raised today for a teenager whose felony assault case was upgraded to attempted murder by a grand jury last week. Onondaga County Judge William Walsh raised Nykeem Sutton’s bail to $15,000 cash or $25,000 bond after Sutton, 16, of 4372 W. Seneca Turnpike, Onondaga, was arraigned on an indictment charging him with attempted second-degree murder...
Syracuse, NY - Bail was raised today for a teenager whose felony assault case was upgraded to attempted murder by a grand jury last week.
Onondaga County Judge William Walsh raised Nykeem Sutton’s bail to $15,000 cash or $25,000 bond after Sutton, 16, of 4372 W. Seneca Turnpike, Onondaga, was arraigned on an indictment charging him with attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault.
Defense lawyer Thomas Marris asked the judge to leave bail at $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond. Assistant District Attorney Michael Kasmarek had asked Walsh to raise bail to $100,000.
Kasmarek told the judge Sutton unleashed an unprovoked attack on Liam Halligan as they sat in a car on Frank Gay Road in Marcellus April 17.
Halligan, 19, of Hillcrest Road, was stabbed six times in the throat, neck and head as he sat in the driver’s seat of a car in the driveway of a home on Frank Gay Road, Kasmarek said. The victim also suffered defensive injuries to his hands in the attack, the prosecutor said.
According to Kasmarek, the attack occurred as Halligan was giving Sutton and Sutton’s friend a ride home from a party in Skaneateles. The prosecutor said Halligan’s interest in a young woman who had previously been Sutton’s girlfriend apparently was behind the attack although witnesses indicated Sutton gave no indication he was angry at Halligan before he pulled out a knife and started stabbing the victim.
Sutton was sitting in the car directly behind Halligan when the attack occurred, Kasmarek said.
After being stabbed, Halligan managed to drive into the village of Marcellus where he and a friend got a passerby to call 911, Kasmarek said. None of the stab wounds to Halligan’s neck and head caused any permanent damage but he may have suffered some permanent nerve damage to his hand in trying to fend off the attack, the prosecutor said.
Kasmarek told Walsh the prosecution is looking for a state prison sentence and no youthful offender treatment for Sutton. The judge entered a “not guilty” plea for the teenager and adjourned the case to June 22 for argument of motions.