Yesterday, Brian France, a 62-year-old man from Coram, was sentenced to 22 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of a violent assault that occurred just two months following his parole. According to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, France committed the assault with a padlock tied to a strap on a bus in Patchogue, heading towards Coram, striking another passenger multiple times.
The incident, which took place on May 20, was captured by the video surveillance system of the bus, which showed France attacking the victim, a person he recognized from DSS housing, unprovoked by striking him repeatedly in the head before fleeing the scene, the assault resulted in severe injury including the victim's ear being split in half. Responding officers were able to recover the weapon used in the assault, further substantiating the prosecution's case which led to France's conviction on charges of second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony, and third-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor.
France has a considerable criminal history, with a conviction for rape in 1981 and burglary, followed by grand larceny in 1985 and a second-degree murder conviction in 1988, serving over thirty-two years in prison before his initial release on parole in 2020; his parole was then violated again before his release earlier this year in March. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney cited France’s prior convictions and recent assault as an argument against the 'Elder Parole' bill, expressing concern for the safety of New Yorkers over the rehabilitation of convicts, "The comfort of criminals must not be prioritized over the safety of New Yorkers," Tierney’s statement read, as per the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.
Justice Timothy P. Mazzei presided over the trial, culminating in the recent sentencing that may keep France behind bars for the remainder of his life, given his sentence and prior record. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kieran R. Rogers and Amanda B. Scheier from the Major Crime Bureau, the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fifth Squad, led by Detective John McAleavey, conducted the investigation, with support from the District Attorney’s Office’s Crime Strategies Unit and Violent Felony Investigations Section.
