A Gloucester man will have to wait until September for a judgment in a case that stems from a January bar fight in York County.
The court found sufficient evidence to find Jonathan Coates guilty of one count of unlawful wounding, but deferred a final decision in the case until a pre-sentence hearing, scheduled for Sept. 22.
With the deferred decision, the defense will be able to argue for a not guilty verdict.
“It’s a rare thing,” Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jeremy Markle said of the deferred judgment.
The case stems from a January incident at the Cactus Bar on Route 17 in York County.
Witnesses told deputies with the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office Coates was “being unruly and trying to pick fights with patrons,” Lt. Dennis Ivey said in April.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they found a man with a puncture wound in his left cheek due to a tooth coming through the skin after a punch. The man required stitches for that injury, and also suffered a small laceration on the back of his head.
Coates was arrested March 23 after a two-month investigation.
An original charge of aggravated malicious wounding was reduced to unlawful wounding, a class 6 felony.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $2,500 fine.
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