NORWICH – Admitted felon Derek Nutter, of Bainbridge, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in state prison on Monday after pleading guilty to second degree attempted burglary – a class D felony – and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
The charges stem from a pair of burglaries which took place in July of 2010 in the towns of Bainbridge and Afton. Nutter will also be required to pay restitution of approximately $3,500 to the victims of the crime upon his release and received an additional five years of post-release supervision.
The 22-year-old Nutter was apologetic in county court Monday and thanked Judge W. Howard Sullivan for his approval of a week-long furlough, which gave him the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with his family. An admitted drug abuser, Nutter tested clean prior to his sentencing and said he looks forward to moving on with his life once released.
“I trusted you and you fulfilled that trust,” said Sullivan of Nutter’s furlough. “You’re a young man ... you’re paying the price for what you did.”
Nutter will serve concurrent sentences of three-and-a-half and three years for the pair of felonies. According to Public Defender Alan Gordon, his client’s troubles all stem from his drug habit.
“It’s all drugs,” stated Gordon. “His life was focused on obtaining and using drugs. He’s a likable young man ... [I] hope he takes advantage of any opportunities he can in state prison.”