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Last of 4 men sentenced in racial beating of two

 
Published Aug. 8, 1999|Updated Sept. 29, 2005

The last defendant in the racist beating of a man of Cuban descent and his son outside a rock concert two years ago was sentenced to 4{ years in state prison.

Donald Hansard, 23, of Davie was sentenced Friday by Circuit Judge Victor Tobin for his part in the beating of Miami resident William Salas, 43, and his son, Jesiah.

"It's fine with me," Hansard whispered to his mother before being led away, the Sun-Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale reported.

The former member of the white supremacist group World Church of the Creator could have been sentenced to more than six years for the attack on the Miami residents.

Salas and his son had rejected the group's fliers after a Megadeth rock concert outside the Sunrise Musical Theater in August 1997.

Last month, three other former World Church members were sentenced for their roles in the crime.

Ray Leone, 18, was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison for aggravated battery hate crime. Leone admitted pummeling and kicking Salas and kicking Jesiah with his steel-toed boots.

Guy Lombardi, 35, of Fort Lauderdale was sentenced to four years' probation and must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet on his ankle for a year while under house arrest for threatening a witness to the attack.

Jules Fettu, former state director of the World Church, was convicted of battery as a hate crime against Salas.