Judge orders rearrest of man who pleaded guilty to ‘violent’ assault

STAMFORD — A state Superior Court judge ordered the rearrest of a Norwalk man who pleaded guilty to fracturing another man’s skull with a 2x4 plank studded with nails after he failed to appear at his sentencing on Friday.

Samuel Mwambayi, a 34-year-old homeless man known to frequent Norwalk, was first arrested June 30, 2018, on charges of firstdegree assault and breach of peace after an incident outside of a liquor store on Woodward Avenue in Norwalk, police said.

According to his arrest affidavit, Mwambayi attacked a man with a piece of wood bearing multiple nails, leaving the victim with many cuts and open wounds to his face as well as a fractured skull.

Mwambayi accepted a deal in January 2020 in which he would plead guilty to a lesser charge of seconddegree assault. He was originally scheduled to be sentenced in February 2020, but the pandemic led to delays on his case.

Also, Mwambayi was ordered to undergo a substance abuse program. However, according to court records, he was discharged over the summer due to a “lack of attendance.”

On Friday, public defender David Bothwell, who represents Mwambayi, asked Judge Gary White to grant his client some lenience and allow him another opportunity to appear in court.

Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Maureen Ornousky said she was open to giving Mwambayi a second chance to appear, but White objected.

“This gentleman was supposed to be sentenced over a year ago. He was supposed to be in treatment, but he doesn’t go to treatment. I looked at his PSI (presentence investigation report), it’s bad. And this is a violent crime,” White said.

The judge then ordered Mwambayi to be rearrested and held on $500,000 bond.

White said Bothwell could file a motion to vacate his client’s rearrest.

“I’ll always listen, I’m not going to say that I’ll do what he wants me to do, but I’ll listen to it,” he said.

A warrant was issued to arrest Mwambayi on firstdegree failure to appear charges.