Release Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 5:15 p.m.
Harvey L. Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, announced today that Mark Edward Brooks Jr., 20 years old, who previously resided in the 800 block of Priscilla Lane, Chesapeake, Virginia, was sentenced today by the Honorable William R. O’Brien Jr. on the charges of Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Malicious Wounding, Wearing a Mask in Public, and Armed Burglary. Judge O’Brien sentenced Brooks to a total of 51 years in the Department of Corrections. Forty (40) years were suspended conditioned upon 25 years good behavior, leaving him 11 years to serve. Brooks pleaded guilty on August 24, 2010.
Had this matter gone to trial, the Commonwealth’s evidence would have proved that on December 6, 2009 Brooks and his co-defendant, Breyon Deangelo Dowdell, entered an apartment in the 3500 block of Green Garden Circle in the City of Virginia Beach. Brooks and Dowdell were wearing ski masks and armed with baseball bats. They entered the apartment through an unlocked front door and attacked two men located on the couch. One victim was asleep and the other was viewing videos on a laptop computer with his girlfriend. The victims did not know their assailants, who were seeking revenge for an earlier attack, but mistaken about who was involved in that. The injuries to the victims were very serious and for one of them will be life-long.
On December 8, 2010, Dowdell was sentenced on charges of Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Malicious Wounding, Wearing a Mask in Public and Statutory Burglary. Judge O’Brien ordered him to serve a total 36 years in the penitentiary with all but 11 years suspended conditioned upon 25 years good behavior, supervised probation, and payment of court costs. Dowdell was a juvenile at the time of the offense but was certified as an adult to Circuit Court due to the nature of the charges.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Gordon C. Ufkes. Please contact Macie Pridgen if additional information is desired.
Similar Press Releases: aggravated sexual battery, armed burglary, felony, Harvey Bryant, malicious wounding
