Garland Gets Prison Time For Stabbing Incident

LUNENBURG – Gregory Allen Garland, a 69-year-old Victoria man of 419 Mecklenburg Ave., was sentenced recently in Lunenburg Circuit Court to an active term of six and a half years in prison on a felony conviction of Malicious Wounding as a result of an argument during a card game ending up in a stabbing to the thigh.  Garland received an additional thirteen and a half years suspended subject to numerous conditions.

According to Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement, the incident occurred on November 26, 2015 when Garland and some other men were playing cards.  Garland and the 50 year old victim began arguing.  The victim said he heard a “click” and saw a knife in Garland’s hand, and they began to “tussle.”  The victim ended up with a one-inch stab wound to his thigh, and a cut to his right side.  After being subdued, Garland left, stating he was going to get the victim, and returned with a baseball bat.  He swung the bat at the victim, but the victim caught it, and used it to pin the defendant to the ground until the police could arrive.  Garland said the victim would not have gotten cut if would have not have attacked him when he was “putting the knife away.”  Garland sustained an injury to his ear in the scuffle.

At the sentencing hearing, Clement argued that Garland’s past criminal record, including  felonies of robbery in 1977, Unlawful Wounding in 1995 and Malicious Wounding in 2000, all in New Jersey, could not be ignored.  Garland had more recent convictions in Lunenburg County including Driving Under the Influence in 2010, Abusive Language in 2010, and Assault in 2014.

In addition to his incarceration, the defendant will be subject to conditions of good behavior for 20 years, supervised probation upon his release for two years,  warrantless searches for five years, counseling for anger, no contact, and restitution to the medical providers in the amount of $3,983.61.