Four Convicted In Island Tourist Attack

Four French nationals were convicted Thursday of beating two gay American tourists in this Dutch Caribbean island and given prison sentences of three to six years.

The tire iron attack seriously damaged the brain of one of the victims, Ryan Smith, an employee of the CBS News show 48 Hours. The other victim, Dick Jefferson, had his skull cracked.

"Personally, I'm happy they reached a guilty verdict," Jefferson told CBSNews.com. "Emotionally, it raises a lot more questions than it answers."

Three citizens of the island's French half — Glen Cockly, Micheline Delaney and Allan Daniel — and a man from the nearby French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, Michel Javois, were found guilty of public violence and grievous bodily harm by Judge Jan Bosch.

Bosch determined that Javois, nicknamed "Duracell," was the one who assailed Smith and Jefferson — who are employees of CBS News in New York — with a tire iron as they left a bar with friends on April 6 while vacationing in St. Maarten.

"Duracell" turned himself in to police in June, 2006, and became the fourth person detained for the beatings in St. Maarten, the Caribbean island's Dutch side.

He was accompanied by a lawyer at the time and immediately denied his alleged role in the beating, chief prosecutor Taco Stein told CBSNews.com in June.

Smith suffered brain damage and was unable to speak properly for months.

"I could not talk period ... I couldn't read at all," said Smith, who returned to work in late September. "I couldn't follow conversations and what was worse for me, I couldn't even follow my own news magazine program."

Jefferson's skull was cracked by a blow from tire iron.

Javois, who led the others in the attack, received a six-year prison sentence, while Cockly and Daniel got three-year terms.

"They received the lesser amount because they kicked and threw punches but did not use the tire iron in the attack," Stein said.

Delaney, who was accused of kicking one of the victims while he was on the ground, will spend six months incarcerated. Stein said she tried to stop the attack and had expressed remorse.

Jefferson, who returned to the island to give authorities his account of the attack, had described the attack as a hate crime.

"Instead of friendliness, a pack of residents greeted us, as the judge noted, with vicious discrimination and contempt that almost killed us," Jefferson said in a statement.

"It was because we were gay. Period. There is no question," said Smith, 26. "I really hope that anybody who knows about this case doesn't simply write it off as ... public violence. This was an attack on someone based on who they are."

But the prosecutor played down the possible issue of discrimination.

"Being gay was not the issue here," Stein said. "But meaningless violence to annoy other people. These suspects were out there to cause trouble."

In a statement issued after the convictions Thursday, Jefferson questioned the effectiveness of the island's criminal justice system.

"The people of St. Maarten should also ask whether the sentence sends the clear message that if you wrongly attack visitors, the punishment for endangering the island's lifeblood will be steep," Jefferson said. "Also, does today's sentence soothe the anxiety of visitors who now worry if they will be treated fairly should they become a victim of a crime?"

The island, a popular Caribbean tourist destination, is shared by France and the Netherlands.