Watkins sentenced to eight years in prison

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The man involved in the beating of a North Dakota man outside a Mitchell bar in September 2011 will serve eight years in prison and pay more than $650,000 in restitution.

William Henry Watkins, 34, of Mitchell, was remorseful in his comments to the court before his sentence was given by Judge Sean O’Brien at the Davison County Public Safety Center on Tuesday afternoon.

Watkins pleaded guilty to the felony assault charge in December for the supposedly unprovoked attack of North Dakota resident Clint Dreyer, 36, in the parking lot of Thirsty’s Bar in Mitchell.

“I’m sorry, Clint, I’m very, very sorry,” Watkins said in court Tuesday, while crying. “I’m not asking for forgiveness, I just want to take responsibility for my actions.”

With more than 30 people, including family of both Watkins and Dreyer, Judge O’Brien sentenced Watkins to 13 years in prison, with five years suspended. Watkins was also ordered to pay all court costs and restitution for the victim’s medical bills, which now total $652,635.31, and are expected to rise as he continues to recover from the attack at a hospital in Sioux Falls.

Tags: clint dreyer, william watkins, breakingnews, updates, assault