Charges Filed Against Alleged Attackers of Gay Couple

03.03.2010 by Jeff Robinson

(KCPW News) Seven people allegedly involved in assaulting a gay South Salt Lake couple have been charged with 16 different crimes, including rioting, aggravated burglary and aggravated assault.  The night of July 4th, 2008, David James Bell and his partner Dan Fair were severely injured after a neighbor accused Bell of kidnapping her children.  While Bell was charged and acquitted of kidnapping, several months passed without charges being filed against his alleged attackers. Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Alicia Cook said the South Salt Lake Police Department has since provided additional evidence to support charges against them.

“There really wasn’t a way for us to file both of these cases at the same time,” she said.  “Even without the evidentiary problems we had at the beginning of the case, if we had had an ability to file an assault and burglary case back in 2008, we still would have had to make a choice about which one to pursue first.  Having both cases go forward would have created so many problems, it probably would have hamstrung our ability to pursue either.”

In an online blog posting, Bell said, “Today we can breathe a half-hearted sigh of relief, knowing that some of the people who attacked us will be off the streets and will have to account for the senseless and hateful crimes perpetrated against us, our family, and our community.”

D.J. Bell previously spoke with KCPW about his injuries in this interview.