Dominique Thornton did not testify in his trial for charges that he committed a string of armed robberies along the Katy Trail last May. It probably wouldn't have done any good. He was IDed by victims as the gunman in the heists, and police found Thornton's thumbprint on a stolen purse they later recovered. He was convicted Thursday on three counts of aggravated robbery.
Thornton did take the stand during the sentencing phase of his trial. As the Morning News' Jennifer Emily reports, he pleaded with jurors for leniency.
His technique could use a little work. Thornton was more defensive than contrite, taking issue with the description of his crimes, saying they should have been classified as theft rather than "aggravated robbery."
"I don't call purse snatching robberies," he said according the Emily. Plus, he and his partner hadn't meant to steal things when they'd gone to the trail last May. "I didn't know the Katy Trail was until I got locked up."
Then he changed tack and told jurors that he'd been high on PCP at the time and that he smoked it every day, which no doubt seemed a surefire way to earn a bit of sympathy. But jurors were unmoved, sentening Thornton to 20 years on one of the charges and 25 years on each of the other two, all of which will run concurrently.