A 44-year-old Woodbury man has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after admitting he struck his own brother in the back with a hatchet during a bloody confrontation in Weymouth Township earlier this year. Daniel Gunson's plea agreement calls for a five-year state prison sentence.
The attack unfolded on May 27, when state troopers responded to Grant Street and Blake Drive in Weymouth Township after a report of a man screaming in the roadway, according to Daily Voice. When troopers arrived, they found Gunson lying on his back in a nearby parking lot with a hatchet resting on his chest, the outlet reported. Gunson was arrested at the scene.
Gunson's brother was found nearby with a bloody shirt, according to Cat Country 107.3. Police say the brother sustained lacerations to his back, a fractured rib and a collapsed lung in the attack, injuries that point to just how violent the encounter became before troopers arrived.
Guilty Plea Confirms the Allegations
Gunson has now admitted to striking his brother in the back with the hatchet, according to the station's report. The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office reported that Gunson pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, formalizing the case months after the alleged attack.
Under the plea agreement, Gunson is expected to be sentenced to five years in prison, per the same account. Sentencing has been scheduled for January 12, 2027, Cat Country 107.3 reports.
What New Jersey Law Says About the Charge
New Jersey's aggravated assault statute, as excerpted by the New Jersey Legislature, covers attempting to cause, or purposely or knowingly causing, bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon, as well as recklessly causing such injury with a deadly weapon. The excerpt does not spell out every element of the charge Gunson pleaded guilty to.
Details about what led to the confrontation between the brothers, including any motive, have not been made public. The identity of the attorneys handling the case and any statement from the victim have also not been disclosed.
