Hockey dad sentenced to 6 to 10 years iin prison

Associated Press WriterCAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) -- A man who beat another father to death during their sons' youth hockey practice was sentenced to six to 10 years in prison Friday for involuntary manslaughter.

Thomas Junta had asked to be put on supervised probation with community service. His attorney said Friday he would appeal.

Junta, 44, sat handcuffed, with his head hung low during the hearing as victim Michael Costin's three sons, sister and mother spoke.

"Please punish Thomas Junta and do not allow him to soon get out of prison and ruin another family's life," Costin's middle son, Michael, said. "No matter how much of a sentence that you give to Thomas Junta, my dad got more."

The judge followed the prosecutors' recommended sentence, though he called it lenient and generous and said he considered exceeding it. Junta could have faced up to 20 years in prison.

During the trial and sentencing, prosecutors painted Junta a bully, a 270-pound truck driver who picked on a much smaller man. Supporters described him as a "gentle giant," a devoted husband and father who fell victim to "a very bad set of circumstances."

Junta did not speak during the hearing and called no witnesses on his behalf.

He sobbed as his defense attorney, Thomas Orlandi Jr., read from letters Junta had written to his two children. His 12-year-old son, Quinlan, had witnessed the fight on July 5, 2000, at a suburban Boston rink.

Orlandi also read part of a letter written by another witness, a 12-year-old hockey player named Garrett.

"Quinn needs his dad more than anything. ... Tom didn't mean for any of this to happen. ... Please don't punish Tom for something he didn't mean and didn't want to happen," Orlandi read.

Before being led away, Junta raised his shackled hands to blow a kiss and wave to his family. Barbara Tracy, his sister, sobbed as other siblings tried to comfort her.

Junta and Costin fought at the ice rink after Junta objected to rough play during a pickup hockey game. Costin was supervising his three sons, Junta's son and several other boys on the ice.

The jury determined that Junta didn't intend to kill Costin but that he went too far. At trial, a medical examiner testified Costin suffered severe brain injuries that could have resulted from his head being beaten into the floor. Junta had said he tried to avoid the fight and only hit Costin in self-defense.

Some previous incidents in Junta's life, which were not brought up at trial, were taken into consideration for the sentencing.

Junta's wife, Michelle, was granted a restraining order in 1991 when she alleged that he beat her in front of their two children and another child. A court ordered Junta out of the couple's apartment and gave his wife temporary custody of the children.

Orlandi dismissed the restraining order as irrelevant and stressed that the couple was still together. But the judge on Friday read from part of that order, which said Junta hit his wife at a wedding in front of children.

Costin, 40, had four children, ages 11 through 14. His father, Gus, said Costin had a drinking problem and had been in and out of prison for much of his adult life. But he had quit drinking and was working steadily as a carpenter and painter, he said.

Six months before he was killed, he regained custody of his children.

"Don't worry about what the judge says today, Mr. Junta," Gus Costin said Friday. "Worry about what the judge upstairs is going to say. That's eternity."

Costin's sister, Mary Barbuzzi, and prosecutors said they considered the sentence fair.

"We believe justice has been served," Barbuzzi said. "Our prayers will be with the Junta family, and our family will try to move beyond this tragedy."