Garrett Thomas Stewart, 36, was sentenced to zero to five years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, for an attack in Salt Lake City’s Yalecrest neighborhood on July 19. The sentence followed an incident in which Stewart punched a mother in front of her young daughters; his attorney had asked the judge to grant probation.
Third District Judge Elizabeth Hruby-Mills cited serious concerns about community safety, according to KSL News. Deputy Salt Lake County Attorney Jarod Wilson sought prison, saying Stewart had threatened to kill people walking home and left them injured.
The family was walking home from dinner when they heard Stewart screaming, KSL reported. The woman’s husband tried to calm him by saying they did not want trouble, but Stewart punched the woman in the face, knocking her down. The couple’s daughters were 11 and 14.
Injuries and a Lingering Toll
The woman needed stitches for a deep cut and was left with a scar. She also experienced pain, headaches and confusion for several weeks. She told the court the attack continues to affect her family, including her daughters, who now need counseling, according to KSL. Attorneys for the woman and her husband asked the judge to impose a prison sentence.
In an earlier account of the case, KSL reported that Stewart admitted taking psilocybin mushrooms while riding a motorcycle on July 19, breaking a car window and attacking a family. Police said at the time that Stewart told them he had taken psychedelic mushrooms earlier that day.
Defense Pointed to Mental Health Crisis
Stewart’s attorney, Stephanie Pitcher, argued that the attack resulted from a mental health crisis and that probation could provide the support and structure he needed. She told the court Stewart worked as a barber, had recently obtained a crane operating license and had previously completed probation successfully. Stewart said he had struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues for 15 years, apologized and accepted responsibility before sentencing. He said he would seek help and do what he could to prevent another incident.
Utah law allows a court, in specified circumstances and unless otherwise prohibited, to place a defendant on probation. The Utah Code does not mean probation is available in every case. Judge Hruby-Mills chose not to grant it, citing safety concerns.
Plea Deal Dropped Other Charges
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed a first-degree felony charge of aggravated robbery, along with class B misdemeanor counts of committing a violent offense in the presence of a child, assault and property damage. A public intoxication charge, a class C misdemeanor, and a disorderly conduct infraction were also dismissed.
Stewart also faced a separate case arising from a July 4 high-speed chase from Summit County into Wasatch County. KSL reported that he pleaded guilty on Sept. 25 to failure to respond to an officer’s signal to stop, a third-degree felony, in that case. That charge is distinct from the aggravated assault conviction in the Yalecrest attack.
Mental health courts offer a court-monitored, community-based treatment alternative for some defendants with mental health disorders, according to a 2018 Utah Department of Criminal Justice evaluation. The existence of such courts does not establish that Stewart was eligible or that probation was appropriate in his case.
What the available data can—and cannot—show
The Utah Department of Criminal Justice’s 2018 report says eligibility varies: some adult mental health courts it reviewed excluded violent felonies, while others considered violent charges case by case. The evaluation also said missing mental-health-history data prevented researchers from identifying an appropriate comparison group, limiting what it could establish about outcomes.
The Salt Lake City Police Department describes its crime statistics as preliminary figures for general situational awareness and trend purposes. That caution does not provide a basis on its own for comparing reported violent crime in Yalecrest with the city overall.
