A Portland man involved in a drunken brawl outside a downtown Vancouver nightclub that left one man with serious brain injuries was sentenced Friday to three years in prison.
Tupou A. Eliesa, 30, previously pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to second-, third- and fourth-degree assault stemming from the May 18, 2014, incident outside of the former Q Nightclub & Lounge.
Eliesa initially faced charges of first- and second-degree assault, court records show, but those charges were amended in exchange for his guilty pleas.
The man’s brother, Kolo M. Eliesa, 33, also of Portland, is a co-defendant in the case. His trial is scheduled for February.
The two were allegedly part of a group of men who 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 alleged victims, Allen Jessie, bumped into an unknown woman while crossing the street with his wife, Desiree Jessie, the affidavit said. The man said he had apologized to the woman, but she instigated a fight and followed the Jessies to their limousine. They exchanged words, and then she called over a group of men, court records said.
One of the men, identified as Tupou Eliesa, punched Allen Jessie in the head, knocking him unconscious, according to court documents.
Desiree Jessie retreated inside the vehicle, the affidavit said, and as her sons and their friends left the vehicle, they were assaulted by the group of men.
Three people were treated at hospitals. Allen Jessie suffered life-threatening injuries. His recovery included cognitive and speech therapy, and he missed about eight months of work, according to court records.
During the hearing, Eliesa’s attorney, David Kurtz, said his client admits to punching Jessie but that he didn’t knock him unconscious.
Kurtz said Eliesa decided to step up and take responsibility for the entire incident to help protect his brother. If Kolo Eliesa goes to trial, Kurtz said Tupou Eliesa will testify on his behalf.
Judge Daniel Stahnke called the incident a “horribly stupid night” and agreed to follow the attorneys’ agreed-upon sentence of 36 months — a longer-than-normal sentence because of the severity of the victim’s injuries.
Tupou Eliesa was given credit for two days in custody.
