Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that Michael Handy, 30, of the Bronx was sentenced to 15 years in state prison by the Honorable Peter J. Vazquez, J.S.C., for fatally stabbing Darrick Farmer, 40, of Newark.
On July 23, 2010, the two friends were in the lobby of Cameo, a Newark adult movie theater, when they got into an argument. Handy grabbed a butcher knife from his bag and stabbed Farmer multiple times.
On Aug. 3, Handy pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter. Today he was sentenced to 15 years as part of a plea agreement.
“This was a horrible tragedy all the way around,’’ said Assistant Prosecutor Eileen O’Connor, noting Handy had no prior criminal record as a juvenile or an adult. “This is another situation where the use of a weapon, in this case a knife, escalated an argument into a homicide.’’
In court, Handy took full responsibility for the crime and asked the victim’s family to try and forgive him. The victim’s sister, Angela Boyette, spoke on behalf on the family, saying the crime had “consumed them with sadness.’’
