By his own admission, Joseph Cahill used to be a punk.
Like when Shelton police said he and three others beat up a man last September because they thought he had drugs they could steal.
But he told a judge at Superior Court in Milford Thursday that being in jail for nearly a year since his arrest has led to an attitude adjustment.
“I’ve learned not to be so naive,” Cahill said before the judge sentenced him to serve 18 months behind bars in the case.
Cahill pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery July 13.
He faced up to eight years in prison at Thursday’s sentencing.
Cahill was one of five people who police say thought they’d gain access to a roomful of “weed and drugs” inside a Shelton home by having a 17-year-old girl incapacitate the homeowner with pills.
Things didn’t turn out that way when they set their plan in motion the night of Sept. 7, 2015.
Background
The conspirators had the girl, Brittany Plona, ask the victim to pick her up in North Haven, then drive back to his home.
Unbeknownst to the victim, four men were following behind him as he drove back to Shelton — Cahill, Shawn Craig, Robert Torelli, and Patrick Asard.
The plan, according to police — Plona would drug the man, unlock the door, then text the others saying the coast was clear for the robbery.
But when they approached the house after getting the text message, the man was outside the house.
He recognized Craig, who was allegedly carrying a metal BB gun that looked like the real thing.
The man yelled for help but Craig pistol-whipped him with the BB gun. He crumpled to the ground in a heap.
One of the men then thought he saw a neighbor, so they fled without ever seeing if the man had a room full of drugs.
Prosecutor Cornelius Kelly said in court Thursday the group would have been disappointed if they had.
“I don’t recall during the time the police were on the scene that they ever discovered this cache of drugs and pills and marijuana that the parties thought that the complainant had in his residence,” he said in court Thursday.
But in April Shelton police charged the victim with giving drugs and alcohol to Plona on Dec. 30, 2015 — more than three months after the botched robbery. Charges in that case are pending.
’He Was A Punk’
In court Thursday, Cahill’s lawyer, Michael McCabe, said that since Cahill’s arrest last October he has received his high school diploma and has enrolled in a drug rehabilitation program.
He’s also on a waiting list to take part in a culinary training program.
“I’ve seen a definite change in him,” McCabe said. “When I first met him he was a punk. I could not consider him a punk anymore. He’s very respectful to me, and something very telling is that when I ask him if he has any questions, he thanks me for my representation, which I think is rare in a lot of 19-year-olds.”
“It’s rare these days at any age,” Judge Frank Iannotti interjected.
Cahill then told the judge he was sorry.
“I have changed my life. Every day I try to do everything I can to better myself and not just sit there in jail counting the days,” he said.
“Is your lawyer right, that you were a punk?” the judge asked.
“Yes, he is right,” Cahill replied.
“Then why is he right now that you’re not anymore?” Judge Iannotti said.
“I’ve learned not to be so naive and not so all about me,” Cahill said.
He said his brother had relayed a quote to him with advice on how to spend his time behind bars — “Don’t count the days; make the days count.”
“Very good advice even for someone not incarcerated,” the judge noted.
What Were You Thinking?
Still, the judge said he was puzzled by the case.
“I’m trying to understand how you … could possibly have thought that it was a good idea to, for lack of a better term, jack up some guy,” he told Cahill. “Did you ever stop to think what could have happened?”
“He could have died,” Cahill said.
“Exactly. Then all of a sudden … you and I are having a totally different discussion,” the judge said. “There’s nothing wrong with walking away from a bad situation.”
He then sentenced Cahill to an eight-year prison term to be suspended after 18 months, to be followed by five years of probation.
The judge ordered Cahill to go through substance abuse and mental health treatment, not possess any weapons, and stay away from the victim in the case.
Co-Defendants
Three of the other people charged in the case have pleaded guilty, and two — Plona and Asard — have already been sentenced.
Last week Plona received a 10-year prison sentence that will be suspended after she serves 30 months behind bars.
On Tuesday (Sept. 20) Asard was given an eight-year prison sentence to be suspended after 18 months.
Like Cahill, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery.
Torelli has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery and faces up to four years behind bars at his sentencing, which is scheduled for Sept. 27.
Kelly said in court that he expects Craig will take a plea deal in the case as well. His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 6.
