Former city man gets prison in assault

TORRINGTON — A former city resident was sentenced to serve three years in prison after pleading guilty to three felony charges in connection with what police said was an assault that occurred during an arguments with family members.

Wilbert A. McCullough, 37, who has lived in Torrington but whose last known address was in Stratford, was sentenced to concurrent terms of five years in jail, to be suspended after serving three years, with five years of probation, for charges of violating a protective order, risk of injury to a child, and failure to appear, which are felonies. He also was sentenced to one year in prison on the a charge of thirddegree assault.

The 2018 arrest on the protective order violation occurred, according to Torrington police Detective Kevin Tieman, after McCullough “tried to make contact with a previous victim through a third party.”

The arrest came after an argument with family members, Tieman said. “It was about money to use for food for the family members.” McCullough didn’t use the the money for food, but allegedly “used it for drugs,” Tieman added.

The 2017 case, involving a “disturbance with an assault on the adult and the child,” Tieman said, led to the third-degree assault and risk of injury charges.

The sentences for all four of the charges to which McCullough pleaded guilty are to run concurrently, according to a court clerk.

McCullough faced 15 more charges last Friday, including four felony counts, two for violating protective orders and two for first-degree failure to appear, both in October 2018.

Those charges will not be prosecuted. “There are no outstanding counts,” the prosecutor told the judge following the sentencing procedure.

Superior Court Judge Paul Matasavage replied “they are appropriate (sentences), I understand, based on the evidence.”

A victim’s statement was read to the court by the prosecutor prior to the sentencing.

“My son and I have anxiety over this. I hope (McCullough) serves the time that’s required and that he gets help.”

“This is a highly emotionally charged case. No one deserves to go through what the victim has,” said Matasavage.

“This is a substantial sentence for a relatively young guy,” the judge said to McCullough. McCullough did not respond to the judge’s comments.

McCullough is required to complete a domestic violence course as part of his sentence and perform 25 hours of community service during his probation. He has been held at the New Haven Correctional Center since October 2018.

McCullough has also served several prior prison sentences.

In January 2010, he was arrested and held on a $100,000 bond for first degree burglary. According to police, McCullough entered his former girlfriend’s house on James Street in Torrington around midnight. The victim told police she was no longer involved with McCullough because of his “lengthy criminal past,” court documents stated.

McCullough was put on probation for the charge, but violated the conditions of the agreement in March, 2010 and his probation was revoked. He received a sentence of 30 months in jail.

In 2013, he was found guilty of second-degree breach of peace and received a sentence of six months in jail.