A Pennsylvania man has been jailed after stabbing his neighbour over an argument about loud snoring.
Christopher Casey, 56, was sentenced to 11-and-a-half to 23 months in prison, as well as three years’ probation after he pleaded guilty to the involuntary manslaughter of 62-year-old Robert Wallace, CBS News reports.
According to local media, the two men shared a common wall in a duplex they were both living in.
It was reported that Wallace had confronted Casey in January over his “loud snoring”, saying it had affected his health and his ability to sleep and work.
Prosecutors said Wallace had pushed in Casey’s first-floor window and threatened to kill him over the snoring.
According to an affidavit obtained by 6abc, the two men argued for 20 minutes before Wallace settled down and offered to shake Casey’s hand. Wallace said he would pay for surgery to stop his neighbour's snoring.
However, not believing that Wallace was genuine, Casey armed himself with a “large military-style knife” and a taser before opening the door and fatally stabbing the 62-year-old three times in the chest.
Casey told emergency dispatchers Wallace had “broke my window”.
“I attacked my neighbour. He came to attack me.”
Wallace was found about 15 metres from the residence with a stab wound.
Casey’s defence lawyer, James Lyons, told the court multiple threats had been made against his life by Wallace.
He called Casey “a really good man who was not equipped to deal with this type of sustained abuse and threats”.
“He was terrified of this guy, and he believed that he had no option.”
Lyons also argued his client had autism, which made confrontation difficult for him to deal with.
Casey apologised to Wallace’s family in court, saying the incident had been “unfortunate”.
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