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‘Saved By The Bell’ Actor Jailed For 4 Months For Stabbing Incident

By Angelica N. Sumter
Published on: 06:05 PST, Jun 25, 2015

Television actor Dustin Diamond, who played Screech on the comedy show Saved by the Bell, was sentenced on Thursday to four months in jail, followed by 15 months of probation, for a barroom stabbing, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Last Christmas, the 38-year-old TV actor was involved in a fight at a Wisconsin bar where he claimed to have accidentally stabbed a man. Allegedly, his girlfriend, Amanda Schutz, initiated a fight by shoving a woman and pulling another woman’s hair.

The patrons at the bar rallied up and made attempts to harm Schutz. Therefore, Diamond pulled out a knife to protect her. In surveillance footage, Diamond is seen striking the man with an object.

“I was fearing for her safety and her life,” Diamond said.

Wisconsin police were called to the scene, and both Diamond and Schutz were arrested.

During the three-day trial, Diamond gave a false testimony, stating that during the bar altercation, he struck a man, Casey Smet, with a pen. He later admitted that it was an actual knife, but he never intended to harm anyone with it. It was simply to scare people away during the outbreak.

Smet was stabbed in the armpit, but recovered from his injuries.

Diamond was charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety and disorderly conduct, but was only found guilty of disorderly conduct earlier this month.

Before his sentencing on Thursday, Diamond gave an apology in court, stating as follows.

“I sincerely apologize to everyone involved. This was the single most terrifying experience of my life… This is all I’ve been able to think about for the last six months.

A night in the ER would be infinitely better than a future reputation as a criminal.”

Just before Judge Paul Malloy sentenced him to four months in jail and 15 months of probation, he said that Diamond’s sentencing “has to send a message to the community that we’re just not going to live like this.”

Diamond’s attorney, Thomas Alberti, was disappointed that the judge had given the actor jail time, as he was hoping for leniency. However, he stated that “Dustin understands the need to send a message to the community.”

“He’s going to deal with it.”

Aside from jail time and probation, Diamond and his girlfriend were ordered to pay $1,501 to Smet, and $500 for transportation costs and court fees for the prosecution witnesses.

Schutz was also sentenced to 90 days in jail for disorderly conduct, and fined $500. In court, she stated: “This was definitely a huge mistake, and I have definitely learned from this.”

The Saved by the Bell actor refused to make any comments regarding his sentencing.

[Image courtesy of Jeffre Phelps / Getty Images]

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