Two men accused of beating a man outside Connie’s on Elizabeth Street want to be accepted to a special court program that could wipe their records clean if successfully completed.
Richard Valenti, of Derby, applied for the program — accelerated rehabilitation — during his brief court appearance at Superior Court in Derby Wednesday morning.
Anthony DeFala’s attorney, Michael Hillis, indicated during court that DeFala also plans to apply for accelerated rehabilitation.
DeFala and Valenti were charged in June for the assault, which took place outside of Connie’s after bar hours on March 6.
The victim, Ronald Sabatini, was beaten into a coma and suffered serious injuries ranging from traumatic brain injury to broken ribs, according to a lawsuit he filed against the bar and the two men.
Police charged DeFala, a former member of the town’s tax board, with second-degree assault, a felony, and second-degree breach of peace.
Valenti was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace, two misdemeanors.
Accelerated rehabilitation is available to first-time offenders who have not committed serious crimes. If the program is successfully completed, the criminal records for the men could be cleared.
The cases for Valenti and DeFala have been continued to March 16, where a judge will determine if the program should be granted.
The Fight
Sabatini was drinking at Connie’s on March 6 with friend, Elaine Hanna. DeFala and Valenti were also at the bar with a large group of friends, according to an arrest warrant.
Close to 2 a.m., the large group exited the bar, and a fight ensued outside.
According to the warrant, the fight may have started because Hanna drunkenly asked the group: “What’s this, Jersey Shore?”
Witnesses told police they saw Valenti shove Sabatini, and DeFala punch him.
Police believe that DeFala may have blind-sided Sabatini with a punch to the head when he tried to walk away. The blow was not caught on surveillance camera, according to the warrant.
The Lawsuit
Sabatini sued Connie’s and the two men as a result of the fight. He claims adequate security wasn’t in place at the time of the assault and that Connie’s employees didn’t do anything to help him that night.
That lawsuit is still pending in Superior Court in Milford.
Valenti’s lawyer has asked that the lawsuit be revised to take out terms such as “brutal beating” and replace with more legally acceptable terms such as “assault.” The lawyer also asks for more proof — and more specifics — regarding the injuries Sabatini sustained.
