Two brothers who admitted to beating a homeless immigrant last year were sentenced Monday to state prison, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley.
The brothers told police that they thought the victim was an illegal immigrant, with one of them saying he was inspired in part by Donald Trump's comments.
Scott and Steven Leader, from South Boston, pleaded guilty to indictments of causing bodily injury while committing a civil rights violation, assault and battery for purposes of intimidation causing bodily injury, two counts each of assault and battery, and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp sentenced Scott Leader to three years in state prison and Steven Leader to 2-1/2 years, with both facing three years of probation.
"This unprovoked attack on a sleeping man disgusted every prosecutor, victim advocate, and trooper who worked on it... State prison was the only appropriate sentence," said Conley.
Assistant District Attorney Nicole Rimar read a statement from the victim before the sentencing, in which the victim described waking up to men urinating on him and beating him up on Aug. 19, 2015.
The victim wrote, "I still feel pain all over my body from this incident... I came to this country many years ago and worked hard in the farm fields to provide produce to people here. I actually became a permanent resident of this country years ago, although if I had been undocumented I still woud not have deserved to be beaten this way."
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If the case proceeded to trial, prosecutors said they would have presented witness testimonies detailing one of the brothers striking the victim with a metal pole repeatedly and the two brothers walking away and laughing.
