Two brothers who pummeled their 66-year-old grandmother, shoved her into a bathtub and urinated on her pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges on Thursday.
The grandmother, meanwhile, spoke in court and tearfully said she loved the young men, who paid little attention to her in court and earlier had rejected her request to send a letter to them in jail.
"I just want Chris and Michael to know that I love them, and I'm sorry about what happened," the woman said.
Christopher Eugene Hansen, 22, and Michael Levi Hansen Jr., 20, entered guilty pleas to charges of abuse of an elder adult, a class A misdemeanor, as well as lewdness and criminal mischief, both class B misdemeanors.
They originally were charged with aggravated abuse or neglect of a disabled or elder adult, a third-degree felony, which carries a potential prison term of zero to five years in prison, along with the other two misdemeanors. They pleaded guilty to the amended charges, which carry possible sentences of jail time instead of prison, as part of a plea bargain.
The incident occurred July 1 in the grandmother's Salt Lake City home, which she was sharing at the time with the grandsons.
Christopher Hansen thrust open the shower door, began throwing bottles of shampoo and baby powder at his grandma, punched her in the face, and then pushed her, causing her to fall and hit her head, court documents state. He then urinated on her, left the bathroom and smashed a cabinet in the living room.
Court documents state Michael Hansen shoved and hit his grandmother as she walked out of the bathroom, urinated on her clothing and began punching holes in the walls.
Attorney John West, who represents Christopher Hansen, and attorney Chad Steur, who represents Michael Hansen, asked 3rd District Judge Vernice Trease if bail could be reduced from the current amount of $25,000 for each defendant.
Steur acknowledged that this type of behavior should not be tolerated, but said this was a "very specific" situation for Michael Hansen, whom Steur characterized as grief-stricken over his mother's recent death from a drug overdose.
Steur said Michael Hansen suspected some of the drugs may have been prescription medications for the grandmother.
"They were concerned the grandmother was not giving them information about their mother's death," Steur said.
West also said his client is highly motivated to not violate any rules now that he has entered guilty pleas to these misdemeanors because that could affect his sentence.
However, prosecutor Gregory Ferbrache urged that the bail not be reduced due to the nature of the crimes, the fact that the grandmother had received multiple physical injuries, and because he believes the two young men have "extensive anger toward the grandmother."
"They pose a danger to the victim and the community," Ferbrache said.
Trease denied the request for a bail reduction.
e-mail: lindat@desnews.com