Firefighter Michael Silvestri was sentenced to a year in jail Wednesday for brutally beating a colleague during a Staten Island firehouse brawl on New Year's Eve in 2003.
Silvestri pleaded guilty to second-degree assault charges to avoid a trial on charges he beat fellow firefighter Robert Walsh so badly that he left him in critical condition.
Police said Walsh suffered severe head trauma after Silvestri hit him over the head with a chair during the brawl.
Silvestri's lawyers originally said he was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder relating to the September 11th attacks. But under the terms of the deal, he dropped that defense.
"He's not happy. Obviously anybody who's going to jail is not going to be happy, but he's satisfied with the disposition. He's very sorry to Mr. Walsh and his family," said Mario Gallucci, Silvestri
