Vomiting Phillies Fan Gets Prison Term

A New Jersey man has been sentenced for deliberately vomiting on some fellow fans at a Phillies game.

KYW's Tony Hanson reports from Philadelphia Family Court that Matthew Clemmens, 21, was going directly to jail.  He was taken into custody despite a tearful admission and apology in court.

Clemmens was sentenced today to 1-3 months in prison, and the judge also ordered him to perform 50 hours of community service at Citizens Bank Park if the Phillies organization agrees -- cleaning the bathrooms and emptying trash.  Judge Kevin Dougherty says he wants him to clean the urinals as punishment for his offenses earlier this year.

Clemmens admitted that he vomited on a Phillies' fan and his eleven-year-old daughter. According to the evidence, that followed innings of drunken, abusive, disgusting and foul behavior by Clemmens and his friends (see previous story).

Prosecutor Patrick Doyle:
"He expressed that intention when he was speaking on the cell phone. He said,  'I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna get sick.' At that point he stands up and did what he did, stuck his fingers down his throat, leans forward and projectile vomited."
Clemmens, who has a "heartless" tattoo on his arm,  got sick on Easton, Pa. police captain Michael Vangelo and his daughter.

The defense argued that this was out of character.  During a tearful speech that lasted several minutes, Clemmens admitted what he did and apologized for it, but said that moment in time did not define him and was out of character.

But Vangelo, one of the victims, says his daughter was crying hysterically after the incident and has been traumatized.   He says she refuses to talk about the incident and won't go back to the ballpark.  And he says that although the Phillies organization has been great,  he hasn't gone back either despite offers of free tickets and limousine rides to the game.