Ethanel Pherigo appeared in court June 4 for a status hearing.

Pherigo is accused of robbery and aggravated assault in connection with a Sept. 8 assault in the alley behind City Bar at 709 Central Ave. that left a man with a significant head injury.

Pherigo had signed a plea agreement over the winter, but then fired his attorney and prosecutors thought he was considering withdrawing his guilty plea.

Juvenile’s charge upgraded to attempted homicide in Sept. 8 assault case [2024]

During the June 4 hearing, Pherigo told his new attorney, Sam Harris, that he was ready to proceed with his case.

Since he signed an agreement to plead guilty to robbery in exchange for the state dropping the aggravated assault charge, the case will now move to sentencing, which hasn’t yet been scheduled.

The prosecution is recommending that the court sentence Pherigo to 40 years in the Montana State Prison.

During the June 4 hearing, Harris said they were prepared to move to sentencing, but Ryan Ball said the prosecution wasn’t yet prepared since they had several people to testify about the effects of the assault, including the victim.

Judge John Parker said he’d set sentencing as a standalone hearing, likely on a Friday, for about three hours.

Shaun Deberry was also charged initially with a felony count of aggravated assault for the incident, but prosecutors upgraded the charge to accountability for attempted deliberate homicide.

Two more charged in Sept. 8 assault; two women charged in connection with missing 12-year-old [2024]

DeBerry’s trial is currently scheduled for July 14.

Jesse Edwards, a juvenile, was also charged in the incident.

Prosecutors upgraded his charge to deliberate attempted homicide last fall, but his case has since been returned to youth court and the charge returned to aggravated assault, according to the Cascade County Attorney’s Office.

His trial is currently set for Sept. 22.

Weekend crime roundup: man charged for stomping on man’s head in alley; man charged for carrying gun near mall; woman charged for hitting another in the head with a rock

The victim, Jake Kraus, was 37 at the time of the incident and suffered a brain injury.

According to his wife and benefit organizers last year, Kraus is a second year welding student at Great Falls College MSU and was celebrating his wife’s birthday at the Newberry the night of the assault.