Kathryn Knott Sentenced to Prison in Gay-Bashing Case

Unlike her co-defendants, she did not escape prison time. She'll also have to complete anger management.

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Sixteen months after the attack on two gay men in Center City, Kathryn Knott has been sentenced for her role in the crime.

On Monday afternoon, a Philadelphia judge informed Knott of her fate: five to 10 months in prison followed by two years probation. She’ll also have to pay a $2,000 fine. As part of her sentence, Knott is not allowed to leave the state, and she is banned from entering Philadelphia unless on official court or probation business. Her probation may be transferred to her county of residence. Knott is also required to complete anger management, and a “stay-away” order has been imposed covering the victims and their immediate and extended families.

In December, a jury convicted Knott on charges of simple assault, conspiracy and reckless endangerment and acquitted her of two far more serious counts of aggravated assault. Knott’s codefendants Kevin Harrigan and Philip Williams escaped jail time when they entered plea deals last year.

Victims Andrew Haught and Zachary Hesse encountered Knott and a large group of friends, including Harrigan and Williams, at the intersection of 16th and Chancellor streets on September 11, 2014. According to courtroom testimony, Knott hit Hesse and used homophobic language against him. Haught was punched unconscious by Williams and had his mouth wired shut for nearly two months as a result. After the attack, Knott and her friends drank at an Irish pub in Center City.

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