Student gets 8 years for SUV vandalism

Tuesday, April 19, 2005 Posted: 4:57 AM EDT (0857 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- An aspiring physicist was sentenced Monday to more than eight years in prison and ordered to pay $3.5 million for his role in a spree of arson and vandalism that targeted gas-guzzling Hummers and other sports utility vehicles.

Rejecting pleas for clemency from William Cottrell, a 24-year-old doctoral candidate in physics at the California Institute of Technology, U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner added more time to the sentence after finding that Cottrell was trying to sway consumers with his anti-SUV message.

The slogans Cottrell spray-painted onto vehicles included "Fat Lazy Americans," "No Respect for Earth" and "SUV Terrorism."

Cottrell, who admitted only spray-painting and testified he did not know that two friends were bringing Molotov cocktails, promised he would never break the law again.

The two friends have fled the country to avoid prosecution, authorities said.

"I want nothing more than to be a physicist," Cottrell said. "I would do anything to earn any leniency the court could show in this matter."

Cottrell was convicted last November on seven counts of arson and one count of conspiracy related to a 2003 vandalism and firebombing spree that targeted about 125 large sports utility vehicles at four Southern California dealerships and a few homes.

Cottrell's attorneys asked for the five-year mandatory minimum sentence saying that their client has Asperger's syndrome -- a form of autism marked by impaired ability to understand social situations.

They said it affected his judgment and kept him from backing out when his two friends started lighting Molotov cocktails.

Klausner said high intelligence should work against a defendant, not in his favor.

"What a talent to have wasted," Klausner said. "There's only one person to blame for that, and I'm sure Mr. Cottrell understands that it's him."

Attorneys estimated that Cottrell could spend six years in jail, including credit for time served.

"The defendant engaged in conduct to send a political message," said federal prosecutor Beverly Reid O'Connell.

"He's a scheming, arrogant person who is disdainful of the law and the justice system."

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if i was the judge, id also have banned him from ever owning a car again

C'mon ... they make bumper stickers for this. No need to damage someone's property.

http://www.guerillastickers.com/

6 to 8 for this shit?!... that's ridiculous... so, i can touch little 10 yearold girls even rape them too and get about the same time in jail as this douche?... talk about a fucked up justice system

Using "fire bombs" such as Molotov cocktails are dangerous things to play with. He's lucky he only is getting 6-8 years. And you know, it would make more sense to just up the time spent in prison for rape and molestation.

6-8 for little girl sex? That's a deal!

i agree that using molotov cocktails is pretty serious... and i also agree that they should just up the time spent for rape and such... but just think about the difference in damage done to an 8 year-old girl being raped and some rich guy having to file an insurance claim to replace his 75,000 dollar automobile... hmmmm... wonder which one has the deeper scars?

What would be the physics equation for banana in the tailpipe?


washing and waxing every SUV from San Diego to San Francisco would be better punishment.

A couple months in prison to think about why he was there and then 100,000 hours of community service where he can tell people why he feels SUV's are bad and the alternatives.

8 years seems a little harsh, but he probably got that, because he's an arrogant, know it all little prick.

Oh come he promised to never break the law again and they still put him in jail. Thats fucked up.

While I agree that the damage is far greater for the little girl, assuming everyone in an SUV is in a brand new hummer and is rich is just flat out wrong.

Not to mention that it's ridiculous to destroy something that doesn't belong to you purely because you don't like it.

SUVs arent cheap... but yeah, you dont have to be rich to have one... but there is something called insurance that most americans driving SUVs do have... if you own a hummer you have to be rich... and if you're not, then you're just a fucking idiot for wasting that much money due to your small penis... or something like that

hmmm.... dictatorships anyone?

So insurance companies should pay for this repair? I guess everyone that pays insurance should pony up for this, right?

I guess all those honda civic drivers must have giant cocks.

Agreed. I'd say a good portion of the SUV owners where I live are PWT, just trying to feel better about themselves by owning a big flashy vehicle, despite the fact that they probably spend 1/3 of their income on gas, have little savings, and live in a shitty rental.

(BTW, you realize he wasn't randomly attacking SUV's, right. They firebombed Hummers in dealer parking lots.)

So all SUV owners are poor? I guess we need to start spending tax money to supplement their income.

Oh, sorry, that was PJDoll's line.

I believe you guys aren't seeing the whole picture here. This guy planned and attacked a business causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage (this business employs mechanics, sales people, janitors, etc, all who's lives were hurt by this).

Not only that, a fire means fire and rescue services had to be called. These are the people who risk their lives to keep the fire under control. Fireman and police had to race to the scene, endangering pedestrians along the way. That also diverts these resources away from other fire/rescue/police situations, were peoples lives were threatened.

It's not like this punk just spray painted them. He caused havoc. That is serious and deserves a serious sentence.

I must have missed the people defending his actions.