The second defendant involved in a drunken brawl that seriously injured a man outside a downtown Vancouver nightclub was sentenced Thursday to three months in jail.
Kolo M. Eliesa, 33, of Portland pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to two counts of third-degree assault and one count of fourth-degree assault in connection with the May 18, 2014, incident outside the former Q Nightclub & Lounge. He may serve the sentence through a work-release program if he qualifies.
Eliesa’s brother, Tupou, 30, also of Portland, who was identified as the primary assailant, previously pleaded guilty to second-, third- and fourth-degree assault, and was sentenced to three years in prison.
The two men were allegedly part of a group that assaulted a couple and their children and friends as they were leaving the nightclub at 704 Main St., according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court.
Witnesses said the fight involved more than a dozen people and began after one of the victims, Allen Jessie, bumped into an unknown woman while crossing the street with his wife, the affidavit said. They exchanged words, and then the woman who was bumped into called over a group of men, court records said.
One of the men, identified as Tupou Eliesa, punched Jessie in the head, knocking him out, according to court documents.
The Jessie’s sons and their friends also were assaulted by the group of men. Three people were treated at hospitals. Allen Jessie suffered life-threatening injuries, court records said.
On Thursday, Kolo Eliesa’s attorney, Jeff Barrar of Vancouver Defenders, said his client was trying to break up the fight and was pulling people off of each other.
Judge Robert Lewis agreed to follow the attorneys’ previously agreed-upon sentence of three months on the third-degree assaults and 364 days of suspended time on the fourth-degree assault, a gross misdemeanor.
Kolo Eliesa was given credit for two days in custody. He was also ordered to pay more than $15,000 in restitution.
