Back in February, Joe Rickey Hundley was aboard Delta flight 72 headed to Atlanta when he ended up slapping the 19-month old baby seated beside him.
During the flight's descent, the baby began to cry and Hundley, an executive at AGC Aerospace & Defense, told the little boy's mother to, "shut that (N-word) baby up." He then turned around and slapped the baby with an open hand, leaving an injury under the child's eye.
During his hearing October last year, he pleaded guilty to the charges of assault and has now been sentenced to do 8 months of time in prison, which his lawyer says was two more months than what the previous deal was. Hundley was also fired from his job in AGC, in which the company described his deed as "disturbing" and does not reflect the company in any way.
Marcia Shein, Hundley's lawyer has yet to confirm which prison he will be staying in and when exactly. Shein relayed that her client was undergoing a stressful situation, as he was flying to Atlanta to battle out the decision of pulling his son out of life support. Hundley's son died the day after the flight.
Shein recalled that her client "had paid a terrible price for his hurtful words but asks only that people understand that he was not doing well that night and spoke hurtful words he would have not otherwise have said."
Jessica Bennett, 19-month old Jonah's mother, believes that Hundley was intoxicated when the plane incident happened. In his defense, Shein says that Hundley has been attending AA meetings to help himself and others, which is a commendable effort.
Authorities say that the case was difficult, as everyone was going through a rough and emotional situation with Hundley facing his son's death and Bennett's pain and trauma for what happened to his son.
Bennet also says that her baby boy has since changed from bright and cheerful to reserved, guarded and scared.
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