Danbury Man Gets 30-Year Prison Term For Assault Case

DANBURY — A Danbury man this week received an effective 30-year prison sentence, plus five years’ probation, for his March conviction for first degree assault and three other assault-related charges stemming from an August 2004 Danbury incident during which two Newtown men were brutally beaten.

Danbury Superior Court Judge Carl Schuman handed down that sentence May 23 to Channy Nee Khuth, 20, for his convictions on the four felony charges. Khuth was being held May 24 at the Bridgeport Correctional Center. Khuth potentially faced up to 60 years in prison as a result of the convictions.

Assault charges against three other defendants in the case are still pending. Those defendants are Wanner Nunez, Thomas Strick, and Amy Altberg.

Following a weeklong criminal trial in March, a six-member jury convicted Khuth.

Injured in the brutal assault were Timothy LaPak, who was 19 at the time of the incident, and Kyle Coney, who was 21 when the crimes occurred. Khuth was age 18 at the time.

At the time of the incident, LaPak was a student at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, and Coney was a student at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. The youths are friends.

LaPak is now working in the area. Coney has moved away.

The beating incident left LaPak hospitalized in a coma for a time. He sustained skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries as a result of the beating.

Coney was also injured by the attack.

On the night of August 2, 2004, LaPak and Coney were riding in an open-topped Jeep in Danbury, when someone in a vehicle in which Khuth was riding tossed a beer can at the Jeep.

A verbal altercation between those in the two vehicles ensued. The auto in which Khuth was riding pursued the Jeep. On catching the vehicle, Khuth led his friends in a group attack against LaPak and Coney on Holley Street, beating them and causing LaPak to lose consciousness.

Khuth was arrested on the charges in April 2005, after LaPak’s family offered a reward for information about who committed the crimes.

Assistant State’s Attorney David Shannon prosecuted the case.