nemo
Blademaster
mobilis in mobili
Posts: 729
|
Post by nemo on Feb 6, 2009 18:31:23 GMT -6
Uhm... guys? ? I just saw this. (I couldn't figure which board to put this on, "Fencers", "Coaches", or "Referees," so I just picked one.) ========================================== Ex-Olympic fencer gets 4 years for beating wife with sabre February 6, 2009Parsippany: Ex-Olympic fencer gets 4 years for beating wife with sabreBy Peggy Wright Daily Record A champion fencer who competed for Poland in the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia was sentenced today to four years in state prison for beating his wife last year with his sabre at their home in Parsippany. Tomasz Stusinski, 32, pleaded guilty this past fall in state Superior Court, Morristown, to whipping his wife with his fencing sabre during an argument at their home on Jan. 28, 2008. He admitted to counts of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and making terroristic threats, defense lawyer Peter Gilbreth said. Superior Court Judge John B. Dangler sentenced Stusinski today to four years in prison, but he should become eligible for parole after serving about 13 months behind bars, Gilbreth said. The attorney said the blows left welts and bruises but the victim was not cut. He said his client was intoxicated and had problems controlling his anger but has since attended more than 400 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and completed a 26-week anger management program. His wife recently filed for divorce. She met Stusinski when she was a fencing student of his in Texas, Gilbreth said. Stusinski, who was the “Men’s Sabre Champion for the Southwest Section” for 2003-2004, fenced for a Polish team that went to the Olympics in Sydney, Australia, in 2000.
|
|
|
Post by schlager7 on Feb 6, 2009 18:45:20 GMT -6
I'm just stunned. I never knew him all that well, but...
|
|
|
Post by DavidSierra on Feb 6, 2009 19:07:40 GMT -6
*gasp*
|
|
|
Post by archangel on Feb 6, 2009 21:11:42 GMT -6
this is an odd question but are we sure its the same one? Thats just so hard to belive..... Edit: OK so thats one of the less intelligent things I've ever said. d**n... hes always been the most chill person I've known.
|
|
|
Post by fox on Feb 6, 2009 22:15:24 GMT -6
I didn't find that article when I did a Google News search but found essentially the same report on the Newsday site.
|
|
Katman
Squire
[ss:Default]
Posts: 269
|
Post by Katman on Feb 6, 2009 23:17:13 GMT -6
What the fence?
|
|
|
Post by Aldo N on Feb 7, 2009 0:37:51 GMT -6
I saw him fence a few years back, when he was still in our area. I believe it was at a Texas A&M tournament. Wonderful fencer, came off shy and unassuming.
This is a sad, depressing turn of events.
|
|
|
Post by monitorlizerd on Feb 7, 2009 7:06:12 GMT -6
*bending over to pick up teeth and jaw from floor* While I would not say I knew him well, THIS I would not have thought of....he's the coach who got Sean into fencing.... Susie
|
|
|
Post by Gaugin on Feb 7, 2009 9:18:56 GMT -6
Whoa! I never would have thought. I guess it's been three years since I spoke to him. I can kinda see the AA part in hindsight but the rest...
Wow.
|
|
kb
Squire
Posts: 261
|
Post by kb on Feb 7, 2009 11:13:29 GMT -6
Oh MY!!! Just saw him at an NCAA tournament a few weeks ago.
|
|
|
Post by freyja on Feb 7, 2009 11:23:35 GMT -6
This is really sad for everyone, I will keep them both in my prayers. Sometimes the most quiet person can be a volcano underneath and all those emoitions come out at the wrong time.
|
|
|
Post by JEC on Feb 7, 2009 12:49:50 GMT -6
I saw him at the Pouj last week, and even I shake his hand. It was a casual greeting but he seemed his usual self ... shy, well mannered, and unassuming. If the article is true, obviously, he was quite different under the influence of alcohol. What a tragedy! He was a very good saber fencer, coach and referee.
|
|
|
Post by fox on Feb 7, 2009 19:40:03 GMT -6
I never knew the man, so I don't know how odd this seems to the rest of you. OTOH, just to get a different take on it, I went perusing aong the posts on Fencing Net and found exactly zilch. I found plenty about the man in old posts, but silence on the current events.
Just curious about the discrepancy...
|
|
|
Post by the6dark6knight6 on Feb 7, 2009 19:58:32 GMT -6
I saw him at the Pouj last week, and even I shake his hand. It was a casual greeting but he seemed his usual self ... shy, well mannered, and unassuming. If the article is true, obviously, he was quite different under the influence of alcohol. What a tragedy! He was a very good saber fencer, coach and referee. You mean to tell me that that Polish saber guy Tomasz who was refereeing at the Pouj this past week and who I've been super cordial to for the last 5 years at tournments is going to jail for 4 years?!?!?!?!....man,that sucks for everyone involved...I second what DavidSierra said...*gasp*
|
|
|
Post by D on Feb 9, 2009 18:56:44 GMT -6
LMAO!!! Awesome!!!!! I talked to him all the time; local tournaments, at NAC's, etc. He was always trying to get me to start coaching around here. .... Alcohol and arguing is bad situation... Just one question pops in my head,,,,, is the sabre what he looked for? !!! or was it just the closest thing to him at the time!!!?
|
|
|
Post by what the on Feb 9, 2009 21:36:59 GMT -6
LMAO!!! Awesome!!!!! .................... LMAO! And what, pray tell, is so funny about this? Please explain this to me as I am at a loss to see the humor. This young man has made an unfortunate choice, and we can be thankful the only thing that was harmed here was his reputation and his career for the next four years. Even if we don't know him personally, we can feel bad for his wife, and the pall this casts on the sport we all love. Grow up.
|
|
|
Post by D on Feb 9, 2009 22:18:39 GMT -6
i guess we've never heard the term,,,,, laugh to keep from crying..... finding humor from sadness, is a very common human emotion if one has ever had the misfortune of encountering very many humans................... Apoligies if my very real reaction offends but the exact first reaction was a huge,,,,, HA! just one.. followed by an,,,,, O. M. (F-ing) G.!!Also; Fist, Bat, Bottle, Brick, definantly NOT the same reaction.. ie they can obviously actually kill a person! fencing sabre,,, not so much...... (i've seen a few drunk dumb asses fence sabre with no shirt on) Don't worry, IM NOT GONNA NAME NAMES!! hehe) I still love ya'll thou! hehe i guess im also picturing me in that situation!! ooooooooo he'd better run when he stops!
|
|
|
Post by MikeBeavers on Feb 9, 2009 23:42:43 GMT -6
I am certainly laughing out loud. You may be the coolest cat sober but if you can't handle yourself when you've been drinking I have no respect for you. Sure we all do dumb nuts when we've been drinking...posting on a pointless message forum perhaps, but physically assaulting some one with a fencing weapon is beyond the limits of what is acceptable, especially if its his freaking wife.....
Know when to say when and especially don't hurt the ones you love. If he does have to leave us for a few years it will suck having one lest competent director here in SoTx.......
|
|
|
Post by Hector on Feb 10, 2009 0:03:45 GMT -6
Probably not as funny to his wife...
|
|
nemo
Blademaster
mobilis in mobili
Posts: 729
|
Post by nemo on Feb 10, 2009 11:55:38 GMT -6
I work the epee side of the street, so I only knew him enough to say hello, but I wouldn't have believed this without seeing the news article.
Too weird.
|
|
|
Post by Geezer on Feb 10, 2009 13:40:29 GMT -6
Humm.... Sword steel and a mix of Drink have always been prescribed to induce violence.
|
|
|
Post by archangel on Feb 10, 2009 15:18:18 GMT -6
LMAO!!! Awesome!!!!! .................... LMAO! And what, pray tell, is so funny about this? Please explain this to me as I am at a loss to see the humor. This young man has made an unfortunate choice, and we can be thankful the only thing that was harmed here was his reputation and his career for the next four years. Even if we don't know him personally, we can feel bad for his wife, and the pall this casts on the sport we all love. Grow up. I have met his wife on a couple of occasions she very nice and also very beautiful. I'm actually pretty proud that she took legal action to resolve the situation. Too many women pretend it will never happen again or make excuses for their bastard boyfriend, husband etc. I know we all like the guy, but kudos for her not taking that s@#t! As far as the humor. I can agree with Damaris on this one. Maybe its a generation thing but looking on the funny side of depressing events helps us keep going. My father always said once you stop finding stuff in life to laugh about (good or bad), it stops being worth living. edit: it could be that we are just horribly twisted individuals.... always a fun possibility!
|
|
|
Post by suzanne on Feb 10, 2009 23:16:18 GMT -6
I saw him at the Pouj last week, and even I shake his hand. It was a casual greeting but he seemed his usual self ... Well, that certainly explains the conversation I had with him at the Pouj. I have to say, in all of the time I have known him, he & I haven't really had much to say to each other - other than the usual "hi, how you doing" "fine, I guess", etc. This was the first time we actually talked a bit. He seemed quite "home sick" for Texas & said something about getting back here someday. Seemed odd to me at the time, but now... He also said something about the coaching jobs in NJ being quite competitive. It's possible he may have hit on some tough times & could have had a bad evening. I wonder if the incident happened before the Pouj.
|
|
|
Post by JEC on Feb 11, 2009 10:36:11 GMT -6
According to the newspaper, the incident happened a couple of days earlier than the Pouj.
|
|
|
Post by Dan Gorman on Feb 11, 2009 14:21:31 GMT -6
The date was 2008 on the article.
I feel bad for all involved. Wish help had been available before it came to this.
Dan
|
|