David Pottle, 53, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Summit County, Ohio, court Wednesday.
An Ohio man pleaded guilty Wednesday to bludgeoning his friend with a toilet tank lid and stabbing him fatally during a cocaine-addled fight at the man’s Akron apartment in November,the Northeast Ohio Media Group reported.
David Pottle, 53, received an 11-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in Summit County, according to the media outlet.
Pottle had taken in Derrick Burris, also 53, as a roommate after Burris’ family kicked the now-deceased man out of his home because of his drug use, the news site reported. But the pair allegedly drank, took cocaine and then began to argue over drugs Nov. 22, according to the publication.
Investigators recovered evidence that Burris may have started the altercation, but Pottle allegedly used the toilet lid to hit Burris multiple times before using a knife to stab him in the neck, the media group reported. Authorities later found Burris’ corpse in the bathroom of the house they shared, according to the news website.
Prosecutors originally charged Pottle with murder, but Burris’ family approved of the plea agreement, Burris' daughter Ashley Garrett told the publication.
“I know my dad wasn't innocent in all this,” she said of his death. “I knew one day I'd get this call. But it's still something you're never prepared for.”
Pottle, who has been convicted twice of sexual assault in West Virginia and multiple other felonies in Ohio, expressed remorse for the incident in court, according to the media group.
“I'm truly sorry for the pain I've caused your family,” he said. “I'm thankful for the mercy they've shown.”
