Former gamecock football player arrested again

Jan 15, 2016, 8:40 PM

http://www.southstrandnews.com/article/20160114/GTT05/160119972/0/SSN

Before he was arrested on charges related to the alleged assault of a cab driver around Christmastime, a Pawleys Island resident and former Gamecock football player had been charged in a multitude of criminal offenses.

Between Aug. 15, 2014, and Dec. 26, 2015, James Sterling Hutton, 28, Seagrove Court, has had multiple run-ins with law enforcement, including the alleged attack of a cab driver in Pawleys and an alleged high-profile assault of a Bluffton man in downtown Charleston.

Before his most recent arrest in Pawleys, though, Hutton — a Kingstree native who played as a walk-on fullback for the University of South Carolina football’s scout team — was arrested by Charleston police in 2014 after a five-day investigation into the assault of Billy Schilling.

Reports indicate Schilling and his wife were walking along King Street at about 3:06 a.m. on Aug. 10, 2014, when a man made an untoward comment about his wife. Schilling then addressed the comment, according to the police report, and the man responded by punching him in the face. The police report also indicated the man fled the area after Schilling fell to the ground, hitting his head and fracturing his skull on the sidewalk beneath him.

Over the next several days, police released images from nearby surveillance cameras that allegedly showed three men who were involved in the assault, including the alleged assailant.

Hutton was arrested five days after the assault took place on a charge of second-degree assault and battery. According to a report from Post and Courier reporter Andrew Knapp, Hutton’s attorneys said he surrendered after seeing himself on TV in the aforementioned surveillance images.

Since Schilling’s assault, Hutton has appeared in Charleston County General Sessions Court three times, on Aug. 16, 2014, Nov. 21, 2014, and Feb. 20, 2015. Charleston County Assistant Solicitor Marian Askins said she expected Hutton’s trial would begin in “late spring,” though she did not provide an exact date.

Although Schilling recovered from his injuries, his father-in-law, Scott Kirkpatrick, who arranged a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Schilling’s attacker, told South Strand News that his son-in-law and his daughter were still waiting for the justice system to play itself out.

“It’s a shame, it really is,” Kirkpatrick said. “It’s a shame the wheels don’t move a little bit quicker than they do.”

While the Charleston case remained in limbo, less than six months after his last court appearance, court records indicate Hutton had several encounters with law enforcement officers in Horry County. On Aug. 9, he was charged with driving under the influence; on Sept. 11, he was charged with a misdemeanor offense of third-degree assault and battery; and, on Dec. 12, he was again arrested on a charge of driving under the influence. Of those three charges, only the misdemeanor assault charge has been scheduled for trial. Two weeks after his Dec. 12 arrest, in the early morning hours of Dec. 26, Hutton was again arrested on multiple felonies following an encounter with 67-year-old Creekside Cab driver Ted Couch.

Couch, who had volunteered to work the Christmas shift to allow some of his younger co-workers the chance to enjoy the holiday with their families, told deputies he met Hutton and a woman at a Pawleys Island bar and drove them to an ATM machine at an area bank. Couch later told Georgetown County sheriff’s deputies that, after the cab and his passengers arrived at the bank, Hutton began punching him on the side of his head from the back seat.

“There was nothing at all that led me to believe this was going to happen,” Couch said. “... I still think a lot about it. It’s bothered me a little bit, I guess. I just feel lucky I survived.”

Deputies said Couch left the cab, but Hutton followed him and continued his attack. Hutton later broke the attack off after Couch began to defend himself, deputies said, and drove away in Couch’s taxi. The woman who was with Hutton left the van, deputies said, after the attack began. “In 15 years of doing this, I’ve never had this happen,” said Dave Fisher, owner of Creekside Cab. “... Ted will bend over backward to help anybody. When that guy comes out of the blue and cold-cocks a 70-year-old man ... you know he’s got some problems.”

Hutton was arrested later that night near a residence on Crane Drive. The arrest report indicates deputies were told by the resident that her sister’s ex-boyfriend, whom she identified as Hutton, had broken into her home. Deputies said the resident told them Hutton fled after she yelled at him to do so.

While they were taking statements at Crane Drive, deputies said, they heard a noise behind the house and, after investigating, found Hutton lying in the nearby marsh.

Deputies said they then relocated to the intersection of Player Road and Ocean Highway to set up a perimeter. A short time later, they said, Hutton surrendered. He was then arrested on felony charges of burglary, second-degree assault and battery and carjacking. Court staff said Hutton would appear in General Sessions Court on Feb. 19 to face those charges.

Since his alleged assault, Couch said he has become more wary of those entering his cab.

“I’m a little leery of people,” Couch said. “I’m looking at them differently than I used to.”

Couch added he also learned the man he charged with assaulting him was the same man who was charged with assaulting Schilling in 2014.

“He should be in jail right now, not out in public,” Couch said. “He’s a danger to society.”

South Strand staff left a message with the staff of Georgetown attorney Robert Lumpkin, who is representing Hutton, to seek comment on his most recent round of charges.

As of the South Strand News’ Tuesday evening press time, that message had not been returned.

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Former gamecock football player arrested again

Re: Former gamecock football player arrested again

Re: A little jail time might help.***

Obviously mental issues.**

Hate things like this for anyone...hope he gets his life...

Re: Former gamecock football player arrested again

Re: Former gamecock football player arrested again

Hope he gets the help he needs

sounds like best case scenario

Re: sounds like best case scenario

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