Former Saved By The Bell star Dustin Diamond has been convicted in his stabbing trial, with the Wisconsin jury finding that Diamond was guilty of two of the lesser charges stemming from an incident at a bar on Christmas Day. The conviction comes only a few hours after Diamond testified, telling his side of the story and alleging that he never meant to stab anyone.
The former Bayside High student was cleared on the more serious charge of “recklessly endangering public safety” according to The Guardian, but may still face jail time from the convictions for carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct:
Diamond, who played the character Screech on the popular 1990s show, said some people had wanted to shake his hand and pose for photos at the bar, but others were badgering him and his girlfriend, Amanda Schutz. He said he was trying to scare bar patrons in Port Washington after his girlfriend was punched in the face.
“I felt like we were being set up for antagonistic purposes,” he said.
Witnesses testified Schutz pushed one woman at the bar and grabbed another woman’s hand, initiating the incident…
Diamond said he tried to help Schutz and took out his pocketknife to deter the group from hurting her more.
The concealed weapon charge could land Diamond in prison for up to nine months, with the latter charge carrying a maximum of 90 days in prison. Diamond’s partner, Schutz, also faces 90 days for her own disorderly charge. It isn’t known if the former star will actually see the inside of a cell due to the incident, but it would seem that all the parties involved can start moving past what happened.
(Via BBC / The Guardian)