Tonya Harding's would-be bodyguard would not go calmly to prison, disrupting his sentencing hearing with demands for a psychologist and a diatribe against the local prosecutor.
Shawn Eckardt's 18-month sentence for his role in the clubbing of Nancy Kerrigan was determined more than two months ago when he agreed to plead guilty to racketeering.But before the 310-pound Eckardt left the courtroom in handcuffs Monday, he fired his attorney, demanded testimony from his psychologist and complained about Harding's lack of jail time for her role in the affair.
"Mr. Eckardt, you have become a very well-known person," Circuit Judge Philip Abraham said. "There are adjectives that can be added to your name, something like infamous, notorious, greedy, dishonest, even stupid."
Shane Stant and Derrick Smith are already serving 18-month terms for conspiracy to commit second-degree assault. They and Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, admitted they conspired to injure Kerrigan to knock her out of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit.
Kerrigan went on to win a silver medal at the Olympics. Harding finished eighth, was stripped of her national title and sentenced to three years' probation and $160,000 in fines for hindering the investigation.
Gillooly is scheduled for sentencing Wednesday. He has pleaded guilty to racketeering in exchange for a two-year prison sentence and a $100,000 fine.