Shelton Man Gets Two Years For Ex-Wife Assault

Scott Wasilewski stood before Judge Frank Iannotti last week a changed man — but not changed enough to escape a two-year prison sentence.

Arrested last year on charges he threatened to kill his ex-wife and pushed her down a flight of stairs, the 46-year-old Wasilewski, a Shelton resident, has since been diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder while behind bars.

And though Wasilewski’s ex-wife asked Judge Iannotti on Wednesday to release him with time served — and a doctor assured the judge that Wasilewski’s condition is eminently treatable” — the judge said he just couldn’t ignore the violent conduct that brought Wasilewski before him in the first place.

There’s boundaries on these cases,” Judge Iannotti told Wasilewski at the end of the 40-minute hearing. Everybody can come in and say tremendous things about you, but it doesn’t just mean the court just says OK’ and you wash your hands of it and it goes away. It doesn’t go away. It never goes away. This is with you for the rest of your life.”

Background

In court Wednesday, Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Charles Stango said Wasilewski owned a successful landscaping business and had been living a very affluent” lifestyle.

But things started to go south when Wasilewski’s wife filed for divorce, Stango said, eventually resulting in his arrest on domestic violence charges.

Ordered to stay away from his ex-wife’s house as a result of one of those cases, Stango said Wasilewski went there anyway Dec. 16, 2011 in a bid to get his ex-wife to take him back.

The two started fighting, Stango said, and, according to Wasilewski’s ex-wife, Sandra, Wasilewski tried to throw her down a flight of stairs. While falling, Stango said, she grabbed Wasilewski for self-preservation,” but still suffered multiple spinal fractures in the tumble.

She’s lucky she’s alive,” Stango said.

But her ordeal did not end there. 

At the bottom of the stairs Mr. Wasilewski then picked up various objects close at hand and threatened to attack her with those right there and finish her off,” Stango said. 

The only reason he didn’t, Stango said, was that she pretended to agree to take him back.

Wasilewski has been held in lieu of $500,000 bond in the case since his arrest last December. In September he took a plea deal that exposed him to up to five years in prison in the case.

He Will Kill Me’

In the immediate aftermath of the assault, the prosecutor said, Wasilewski’s ex-wife was convinced her days were numbered.

It’s not that he won’t kill me. He will kill me,” Stango said, quoting a conversation he had with the ex-wife. It’s a matter of when, and the when will be when he gets out of jail on these cases.”

It was fear and resignation to a fate unlike I’ve ever seen in a complaining witness in my nearly 15 years doing this job,” Stango said.

But in the months since then, Wasilewski’s ex-wife has softened her stance as her ex-husband has received treatment for his psychological problems in jail.

In court Wednesday, Michael Meehan, a lawyer representing her, asked Judge Iannotti to sentence Wasilewski to time served in the case so Wasilewski could spend time with his children, three of whom were in court sitting next to their mother.

Her position now is she’s relieved someone finally had the opportunity to evaluate Mr. Wasilewski and diagnose his mental health condition, which she believes has been plaguing the relationship for many, many years,” Meehan said.

Sandra Wasilewski then told Judge Iannotti she had suspected he had mental problems for decades.

I always knew something was wrong with him,” she said, adding that her ex-husband would be fine one minute, then when things get bad, they get really bad.”

Scott does not fit the description of a violent criminal,” Sandra Wasilewski told Judge Iannotti, noting that he would throw spontaneous pizza parties for his kids, never missed an event or parent-teacher conference, went out of his way to rescue animals from trees, and helped stranded motorists in snowstorms.

Judge Iannotti then referred to her comments that Stango had quoted earlier, and asked what has changed since then.

He Can Be Treated’

At the time I was in a lot of pain,” she said. It was a very hard situation for me initially to take the full brunt of the business, the children, the house, and my pain at the same time. Scott wouldn’t be able to open his eyes in the morning if I wasn’t in the world.”

You agree that that’s a very powerful statement that you made and it’s very a very difficult statement for the court to ignore,” Judge Iannotti then told her.

Yeah, I was scared,” Sandra Wasilewski said. But I didn’t know what was wrong with him. Now at least we know that he can be treated.”

Wasilewski’s lawyer, Richard Lynch, echoed the sentiment when asking Judge Iannotti to sentence his client to time served, and said Wasilewski has learned much while behind bars.

Wasilewski was diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder while in prison, which contributed to the incident last December, he said.

This behavior seems to stem from his undiagnosed bipolar disorder, triggered by a divorce that he did not want, which aggravated that underlying bipolar condition that he was suffering from,” Lynch said.

A Hamden-based psychologist who spoke on Wasilewski’s behalf during the sentencing, Michael Pantalon, told Judge Iannotti that Wasilewski’s condition is eminently treatable on an out-patient basis.”

With the proper medication and therapy, I believe he can address this issue,” Pantalon said.

Wasilewski himself said he was sorry in a brief statement.

I’d just like to apologize, you honor, to my family and friends,” he said.

The Sentence

Stango said that though Wasilewski’s circumstances have changed since his arrest, a prison sentence was still appropriate, and asked Judge Iannotti to hand down a four-year sentence.

I think a lot of the leniency here, judge, has been built into the actual agreement,” he said. I think a period of incarceration certainly is appropriate here.”

In the end, the judge agreed.

I don’t think anybody could disagree that the facts surrounding the arrest of Mr. Wasilewski were very serious, to the point where they could be termed alarming,” Judge Iannotti said.

Wasilewski’s successful treatment and diagnosis since being arrested is encouraging, the judge noted. And even before the arrest, the judge, quoting a pre-sentence report prepared by probation officials, said Wasilewski was a good and loving and caring father” to his children.

But not in all respects, the judge noted.

In being a good, considerate, loving parent, there needs to be respect for the mother,” Judge Iannotti said. And at least during that dark period, Mr. Wasilewski, there was not enough respect.”

As the judge spoke, Wasilewski, standing next to his lawyer in an orange prison jumpsuit, nodded politely.

Judge Iannotti then acknowledged the strides made by Wasilewski while behind bars, but said he still needs to be punished for his crimes.

The court just cannot turn a complete blind eye and just say there’s a 100 percent excuse for everything you did and said,” Judge Iannotti said.

I do not think that there is any reason that you need to serve a five-year sentence,” he went on, as Wasilewski continued nodding. I don’t think there’s any good that would be served by giving you the maximum. I also don’t think it’s appropriate that you’re going to walk out of the door today.”

In the end Judge Iannotti sentenced Wasilewski to a 10-year prison sentence, to be suspended after two years, followed by three years of probation.

While on probation, the judge ordered Wasilewski to continue psychological treatment and counseling, take all medications prescribed to him, go to domestic violence counseling. He also barred Wasilewski from possessing any weapons.

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