Smith pleads no contest, sentenced for beating gay man in Paris

PARIS - A suspect in a reported hate crime in Lamar County has been sentenced to ten years in prison for the beating of a gay man last October. 

25-year-old Micky Joe Smith of Brookston pleaded no contest Tuesday to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, plus a hate crime enhancement, The Dallas Voice reports. 

He’s the second suspect to be sentenced in the case, as 32-year-old James Mitchell Laster of Paris was sentenced to eight years in February. A third suspect, 33-year-old Daniel Shawn Martin of Paris awaits trial.

Burke Burnett received 30 stitches following the attack the Halloween party in which he was punched in the face and stabbed in the back and arm before thrown into a burn barrel. Burnett had claimed the attackers were yelling gay slurs during the offense.