Philip Williams, 24, Kevin Harrigan, 26, along with a Pennsylvania police chief's daughter, Kathryn Knott, were arrested after a brutal attack on a gay couple in Sept. 2014. The vicious assault on the victims, Zachary Hesse and Andy Haught, in Philadelphia left one victim with a broken face and his jaw wired shut. The two pleaded guilty to assault and conspiracy charges, but denied that it was a hate crime.
Despite the vicious beatdown, critics said the punishment did not seem to fit the crime. Williams and Harrigan were sentenced on Thursday with a restraining order from downtown Philadelphia, a $1,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service at an LGBT community center. Williams is not allowed to return to downtown Philadelphia for five years, and Harrigan cannot return for three years.
Even the district attorney admitted the punishment would be difficult to execute. The two will not be electronically monitored, and can only be caught if downtown police officers notice them in the city.
"It's not the easiest thing to enforce," Assistant District Attorney Michael Barry said.
The sentencing outraged social media users, who believe the two men should face a harsher punishment for their crimes.
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