(WWJ) A Macomb County man will spend the next several years of his life behind bars for throwing a fatal punch at a St. Clair Shores bar back in 2019.
After hearing nearly an hour of emotional testimony from the victim's family, a Macomb County Circuit Court judge on Friday sentenced 34-year-old Hatum Akrawi to at least 8, and no more than 15 years in prison.
Akrawi, of Fraser, last month pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter in the Dec. 22, 2019 death of 47-year-old Shawn Kubic of St. Clair Shores.
According to police, Kubic and Akrawi has been arguing at Kapones Sports Tavern, on Harper Ave., before Akrawi sucker punched the other man in the side of the head.
Surveillance video shows Akrawi slowly walk up from behind and Kubic just before the attack.
Kubic fell to the floor, knocked out and and bleeding. He never regained consciousness and died in the hospital the next day.
Among those to speak in court on Friday was Kubic's teenage daughter, Kylie.
"He was not some piece of trash to be discarded on the dirty floor of a bar," she said, through tears. "He was a little girl's daddy, and that little girl still needs him right now."
Kubic's mother, sister and others who spoke at the hearing expressed disappointment that Akrawi was able to plead guilty to a reduced charge, while they say what took place was clearly murder.
Akrawi issued a statement in court apologizing to his victim's family.
"I'm so sorry... there's no excuse." he said. "There's nothing I can do to make what I did not happen. I wish I could."
"I'm sorry to the family more than anything," Akrawi continued, "because they have to live with what I did forever, too. It's terrible."
