Portland man sentenced for assaulting stranger outside store

PORTLAND — A Portland man has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for attacking a stranger because he thought the man had insulted him.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports 55-year-old Kory Thomle pleaded guilty to second-degree assault Wednesday — a day after his trial began in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Thomle told police that he punched William Nickelby on his head after the 47-year-old exited a convenience store.

Investigators say they believe Nickelby fell back and hit his head, causing a skull fracture and bleeding near his brain.

According to court documents, Nickelby told authorities that Thomle had asked him to buy beer for him. Nickelby declined, saying that would be “sketchy.”

Court records indicate that Thomle had been homeless for two years and living out of his car.