Taxi Hijacker Willoughby Sentenced To Eiaht
Years in Plea Bargain
In a plea bargain that prosecutors say was "the best
for all concerned," the man accused of kidnapping two
people, stealing a taxi, breaking into a house and shoot
ing at police in Winnabow May 27 was sentenced to
eight years in prison last week.
Stephen Lewis Willoughby, 18. of Oak Drive Shal
lotte was allowed to plead guilty to one count of second
degree kidnapping. All other charges against him were
dismissed as jKirt of the plea arrangement.
lie had been charged with armed robbery, two
counts of kidnapping, five counts of assault with a
firearm on a government officer, four counts of assault
with a deadly weapon, four counts of assault by pointing
a gun and one charge each of attempted armed robbery,
discharging a firearm into occupied property, felonious
breaking and entering and injury to personal property.
He could have received as much as 160 years in prison
if given the maximum sentence on all counts.
The plea bargain was crafted around the desires of
law enforcement officials who wanted Willoughby to
spend at least two years behind bars, according to
Assistant District Attorney Lee Bollinger. Undercurrent
Department of Corrections release policies, an eight
year sentence should translate to about two years' active
time, he said.
However. Willoughby will be given credit for 138
days spent in Brunswick County Jail awaiting trial.
Willoughby allegedly fired more than 80 bullets
from two .22-caliber handguns during a three-hour
standoff with police that ended when tear gas was fired
into the taxi he hijacked at gunpoint from a Southport
cab driver.
Police say Willoughby also broke into a couple's
home and demanded the keys to another car after the
taxi broke down in Winnabow. He was driven off when
the homeowner fired a pistol at him. No one was injured
in the incident.
Authorities believe Willoughby had been drinking
heavily on the day of the kidnapping and was deeply de
pressed over a degenerative skin disease that has afflict
ed him since childhood.
At age 3, Willoughby was diagnosed with scleroder
ma, a "connective tissue disease that results in a very
tight skin, often with pigment changes and dense scar
ring that may result in an inability to flex and extend the
joints properly," according to a letter to the court written
by Dr. Carole Stashwick, assistant professor of pedi
atrics at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New
Hampshire.
Willoughby has undergone surgery at least twice to
release "contractures" of the skin around joints in his
left hand, "which has become very atrophic and wast
ed," the letter said. The doctor recommends that Wil
loughby undergo physical therapy in an effort to help
slow the development of the disease.
Judge Joe Freeman Britt presided over three days of
superior court in Bolivia last week. Bollinger presented
evidence for the state, while Lisa Aycock served as
courtroom clerk.
In other court action last week:
?Christian Partello. 18, of Route 1, Southport was
sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to
five counts of second-degree burglary and one count of
conspiracy to commit burglary. He was also given a six
year sentence that will run at the same time as the first.
?Paul Andrews, 41, of Sunset Harbor was sentenced
to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to breaking
and entering and larceny, breaking and entering a motor
vehicle and larceny of a firearm. He was ordered to pay
$4,500 restitution and S425 for his court-appointed
* V - if
STAfF PHOTO BY ERIC CARLSON
STEPHEN WILLOUGHBY is escortcd back to jail after a recent court appearance. The 18-year-old
Shallotte man was sentence two eight years in prison last week for hijacking a taxi and firing more
than SO bullets during a three-hour standoff with police in Winnabow May 27.
lawyer.
?Richard Lee Gore. 38, of Shallotte was sentenced
to five years upon his plea of guilty to a charge of as
sault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting
serious injury.
?William Joseph Souhrada, 37, of Queen Street,
Wilmington was given a five-year sentence after plead
ing guilty to breaking and entering and larceny. He was
ordered to pay court costs, attorney fees and $1,225
restitution.
?Keith Dorrell Delts, 21. of Brunswick Mobile
Home Park, I -eland, was sentenced to four years after
pleading guilty to one count each of possession with in
tent to manufacture, sell or deliver cocaine, selling co
caine and maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of sell
ing the drug. He was ordered to pay court costs and
$200 in attorney fees.
?Charles Anderson Clarida. 23. of Route 1, Bolivia,
pleaded guilty to one count each of attempted second
degree rape and misdemeanor breaking and entering. He
was granted a prayer for judgment continued.
?James Ray Worrell, 22. of Gatland Estates, Lciand.
pleaded no contest to a charge of taking indecent liber
ties. He was sentenced to three years, suspended on the
condition that he spend 30 days in jail and not have any
contact with his victim. He was put on five years' super
vised probation and ordered to pay court costs and $550
attorney fees.
?Antonio G. Burgess. 29, of Route 1, Leland, plead
ed guilty to a charge of preparing obscene material and
was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The sentence was
suspended on the condition that he pay a $250 fine and
court costs. He was put on three years' supervised pro
bation.
?Allen Faulkner Richardson, 29, of Wilmington
pleaded guilty to a charge of preparing obscene material.
The judge issued a prayer for judgment continued on
payment of court costs.
?William Delbert Garrell, 52, of Pineview Drive,
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Southport. pleaded no contest to charges of fraudulently
burning a dwelling and Tiling a fraudulent insurance
claim. He was given a five-year suspended sentence,
five years supervised probation and ordered to pay court
costs and SI. 500 attorney fees.
?Hardee Ballard Jr., 40. of Lang Trail, Leland.
pleaded guilty to one charge each of possessing drug
paraphernalia, possessing lottery tickets, selling lottery
tickets and possessing alcohol for sale. He was sen
tenced to two years, suspended on payment of a S250
fine and court costs. He was ordered to perform 90
hours of community service and to forfeit two pistols
confiscated at the time of his arrest. He was put on su
pervised probation for three years.
?Scotty Dean Collins. 22, of H&S Mobile Home
Park, Southport. pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking
and entering and was given a six-year suspended sen
tence. He was ordered to spend six months in jail and to
pay $200 restitution. $200 in attorney fees and court
costs. He was put on supervised probation for five years.
?Carl Gene Ballard. 41. of Route 2. Bolivia pleaded
guilty to a charge of cocaine possession and was granted
a prayer for judgment continued.
BCordette Durham. 33, of Van's Mobile Home Park,
Leland. pleaded guilty to one count each of felonious
food stamp fraud and misdemeanor food stamp fraud.
She was ordered to spend 24 hours in Brunswick County
Jail and was given a five-year suspended sentence and
five years' supervised probation. Durham was told not
to reapply for food stamps and to pay $5,164 restitution
to the Brunswick County Department of Social Services.
She was also fined $250 and ordered to pay court costs
and $300 attorney fees.
?Charles Austin Lane, 19, of Carol Street, South
port. pleaded guilty to breaking and entering and larce
ny. He was given a six-year sentence, suspended on the
condition that the spend six months in jail and pay court
costs and restitution He was put on five years' super
vised probation.
?Kenneth Ray Long, 29, of Woodbridge. Va? plead
ed guilty to breaking and entering and was granted a
prayer for judgment continued.
?Clinton Lindell Frink, 34, of Rhett Street, South
port. pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to sell
or deliver cocaine. He was given a three-year suspended
sentence and ordered to pay a $500 fine, court costs.
$300 in attorney fees and $110 restitution. He was put
on supervised probation for five years.
?Ronald Ellis Robbins, 41, of Route 1. Lelarul,
pleaded guilty to one count each of trafficking cocaine
by possession and transport. He was given a prayer for
judgment continued.
?Ray Smith, 19, of Maco Road, Leland, asked that
his probation be revoked and a four-year prison sentence
be activated on his 1991 conviction for assault with a
deadly weapon and communicating threats.
?Robert L. Coombs, 31, of Route 1, Winnabow,
pleaded guilty to a felony worthless check charge and
was given a four-year suspended sentence. He was or
dered to pay $6,579 restitution, court costs and $250 at
torney fees. He was put on supervised probation for four
years.
?Curtis Gerald Frink. age unavailable, of North
Rhett Street. Southport. was found in violation of his
probation. He was transferred to six-months of intensive
probation and ordered to pay $65 in attorney fees.
BCSD Recovers More Than
$140,000 In Stolen Property
An estimated $141,233 worth of stolen property was
recovered by the Brunswick County Sheriff's Depart
ment during August, according to a monthly officers'
activity report released by Sheriff John Carr Davis.
Deputies and detectives made 29 arrests as prosecut
ing witness during the month.
A total of 1.904 calls were answered, including 212
domestic calls, while 468 investigations were made.
Deputies found two doors or windows open while on pa
trol. the report said.
Deputies served 327 civil papers and summoned 268
witnesses. Sixteen mental and inebriate papers were
served, along with 433 local warrants and 74 foreign
warrants.
More than 105,886 miles were logged, including 35
trips out of the county. The department used 7,714 gal
lons of gasoline.
The narcotics division siezed 353 marijuana plants
valued at $564,800, according to the report.
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