Phillies fan gets jail time for vomit-assault

PHILADELPHIA (AP)

A 21-year-old New Jersey man was sentenced to jail Friday for vomiting on another spectator and his 11-year-old daughter in the stands at a Philadelphia Phillies game.


Matthew Clemmens, of Cherry Hill, N.J., pleaded guilty in May to charges of assault, harassment and disorderly conduct and was sentenced to one to three months in jail, two years of probation and 50 hours of community service. The maximum penalty was two years in jail.


Clemmens was taken into custody after Family Court Judge Kevin Dougherty sentenced him, and several family members burst into sobs.


The spectator who was vomited on, Michael Vangelo, said he has not been back to the ballpark since the assault. He also said his daughter refuses to talk about what happened and has said she does not want to go to another Phillies game.
Clemmens admitted he stuck his fingers down his throat and vomited on Vangelo, an off-duty Easton police captain, and one of Vangelo's daughters at a Phillies-Nationals game on April 14 at Citizens Bank Park.


Clemmens apologized Friday, and members of his family told Dougherty that Clemmens was a good person who made one uncharacteristically bad mistake. Dougherty said he believed Gary Clemmens was sincere in his apology for his son's behavior, but said the defendant's apology was ''feigned.''


Clemmens and his friend were spilling beer, cursing and heckling Vangelo and his daughters from the time they arrived at their seats.
The police captain's 15-year-old daughter asked the pair to stop the profanity, and Vangelo complained to security that Clemmens' friend was spitting, with some of it hitting his younger daughter.


After the friend was ejected, Clemmens was sitting alone behind the Vangelos when he answered his cell phone and said: ''I need to do what I need to do. I'm going to get sick,'' the prosecutor said.


Clemmens then put his fingers down his throat and threw up on the father, with some vomit splashing onto Vangelo's younger daughter.


Dougherty also ruled that Clemmens would have to pay Vangelo $315, the cost of the five tickets for him and his family to attend the game in April. Vangelo said he intended to donate the money to the Easton Police Athletic League.

New Jersey man gets 3 Month sentence for Vomit Attack at Phillies Game..

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A 21-year-old man who intentionally vomited on a spectator and his 11-year-old daughter at a Philadelphia Phillies game was sentenced Friday to up to three months in jail and community service, which the judge suggested be fulfilled by cleaning ballpark toilets and trash.

Matthew Clemmens, of Cherry Hill, N.J., was taken into custody immediately after Family Court Judge Kevin Dougherty imposed the sentence, and several family members burst into sobs as he was handcuffed.

The spectator Clemmens vomited on and punched, Michael Vangelo, of Easton, said his daughter Mikayla is still traumatized.

"What really bothers me about the incident is that Mikayla refuses to talk about it,'' he testified.

The family has received offers from the team and complete strangers for tickets to future games, but "she does not want to go,'' said Vangelo, an Easton police captain. He said he also has not returned to Citizens Bank Park since the assault.
Clemmens pleaded guilty in May to charges of assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. He admitted he stuck his fingers down his throat and vomited on Vangelo and Mikayla at a Phillies-Nationals game on April 14.

Clemmens was sentenced to one to three months in jail, two years of probation and 50 hours of community service, which Dougherty suggested be served at Citizens Bank Park. The maximum penalty was two years in jail. Public defender Richard Hark asked for probation.

Clemmens sobbed as he read from a statement expressing remorse for his actions.
"I'm working every day to clear this black mark from me and my family,'' Clemmens said. "Give me the opportunity to show you who I am and not who I was that one afternoon.''

His parents, acquaintances and grandfather - who took a 27-hour train ride from Florida to attend the sentencing - testified that he was a good person who volunteers in his community and made one uncharacteristically bad mistake.
Dougherty said he believed the defendant's apology was "feigned.''

"Superficially you present yourself one way, but outside of the home you present yourself another way,'' Dougherty said, calling Clemmens a "mean-spirited and vulgar'' young man who humiliated his family and tarnished the city's reputation.

Clemmens and his friend were cursing and heckling the Vangelo family from the first inning. Vangelo's 15-year-old daughter asked them to stop the profanity around her younger sister, prompting more heckling and cursing. The family was doused with beer when they rose to cheer a Phillies home run, and Vangelo eventually complained to security that Clemmens' friend was spitting, which hit his younger daughter's jacket and seat.

After the friend was ejected, Clemmens was sitting alone when he answered his cell phone and said: "I need to do what I need to do. I'm going to get sick,'' prosecutors said.

He then put his fingers down his throat and "projectile vomited,'' Vangelo said. He also punched Vangelo several times, causing his ear to bleed, before being tackled by other spectators and arrested.

Salvatore DeAngelis, manager of Phillies ballpark security, testified the team received thousands of calls, e-mails and letters from people asking "how something like this could happen.''

"Initially there was some concern that it was an unsafe place to attend a game,'' he said.

Dougherty also ordered Clemmens to pay Vangelo $315, the cost of the five tickets for him and his family to attend the game. Vangelo said he intended to donate the money to the Easton Police Athletic League.

Neither Clemmens' family nor Vangelo would comment after the hearing. His daughters were not in court. District Attorney Patrick Doyle said the victims were satisfied with the sentence.

Sports Illustrated

This story wouldn't be complete unless we saw the main characters. :lolBIG:

His family broke into tears after he was sentence to 1-3 months in prison? What a bunch of horseshit this piece of trailer trash should be taken off the streets much longer than than 1-3 months!