Man In Notorious Nyc Hammer Attack Gets Up To Life In Prison

The man convicted of viciously beating a then-57-year-old female pinch a hammer arsenic she entered a Queens subway station, fracturing her skull arsenic he bludgeoned her much than a twelve times successful a convulsive 2022 robbery, was sentenced Thursday to 25 years successful life successful prison. And his victim, still recovering, was successful court.

William Blount, 61, was recovered blameworthy successful April of first-degree assault, robbery and different charges successful nan Feb. 24, 2022 onslaught connected Nina Rothschild. Jurors said he was responsible for kicking Rothschild down nan stairs of nan Queens Plaza position successful Long Island City, bashing her successful nan caput many times and stealing her belongings.

Nina Rothchild.WNBC

His lawyer had based on that prosecutors had nan incorrect man.

“This was an unprovoked onslaught that caught nan attraction of nan full country,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said successful a connection successful part. “Our transit strategy must beryllium safe for everyone and this condemnation sends a beardown connection that those who origin mayhem connected our subways will beryllium brought to justice.”

The gruesome onslaught connected Feb. 24, 2022, that near Rothschild hospitalized pinch captious injuries was captured connected surveillance video. She was seen stepping down nan stairs arsenic Blount, who was stepping pinch a achromatic cane, approached her from behind, prosecutors said.

He kicked her down nan stairs and deed her successful nan caput much than a twelve times pinch a hammer earlier taking off. Blount, 60, took her purse, which had immoderate cash, 2 phones, 2 rings and in installments and debit cards.

Rothschild spoke pinch NBC New York exclusively astir a period aft nan onslaught and is expected to present a unfortunate effect connection astatine Blount’s sentencing Thursday.

“I kept yelling stop, stop, stop, which of people was wholly and utterly useless,” she recalled of nan 2022 encounter. “I kept calling ‘Help, help, help, help!’ And fortunately 2 NYPD officers who were, I think, connected nan little level down by nan trains came up.”

Then a interrogator pinch New York City’s wellness department, Rothschild was treated astatine nan infirmary for aggregate skull fractures. She had a bilateral craniectomy to repair her skull pinch titanium mesh, prosecutors said.

“Fortunately aliases unfortunately, I retrieve fundamentally nan full point from commencement to finish,” Rothschild told NBC New York. “I retrieve starting to spell down nan subway steps and emotion this rustle to my head, which I initially thought was a shot bat.”

Blount was arrested 3 days aft nan attack. A hammer, cane and Rothschild’s tote container were recovered erstwhile a hunt warrant was executed astatine a location successful Manhattan that belonged to a comparative of Blount, which was besides his past known residence.

Blount had a lengthy criminal record, including a jail flight effort that near him pinch 2 surgery ankles, rule enforcement officials said. His grounds includes kidnappings, robberies and supplier crimes successful New York City and South Carolina making love to nan early 1980s.

He was sentenced to 20 years for kidnapping, 15 years for burglary and 5 years (to tally concurrently) for committing a crime of unit pinch a firearm successful a lawsuit successful which he and his relative collapsed into a Bojangles successful South Carolina successful 2000 and kidnapped 2 employees, making 1 unfastened nan safe.

Blount tried to flight while serving that sentence, South Carolina constabulary say. It happened during nan execution of a defender by different inmates amid a larger flight crippled connected Sept. 17, 2000. Blount tried to subordinate nan jailbreak, jumping from nan situation tile and breaking some his ankles successful nan process. He was caught, and sewage deed pinch a conspiracy to flight complaint connected apical of nan different crimes for which he was jailed.