Singer Avril Lavigne may have been a platinum-selling pop star in the early 2000s, but it’s not complicated - killing someone over Avril Lavigne tickets will land you in jail for a very long time.
Robert Lyons, the Carol Stream resident convicted of killing his mother over a botched buy of Avril Lavigne concert tickets, was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Monday, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.
The 39-year-old Lyons was accused of brutally attacking his then 61-year-old mother, Linda Bolek, after she refused to call a friend to obtain tickets for the concert in 2008. Lyons allegedly struck her in the head with a bottle of cognac, stabbed her nine times in the back with two knives, and then poured Tile-X, Drain-O and Raid over her body.
He was later arrested at a Hooters restaurant, according to the Sun-Times.
During his trial last September, Lyons claimed he was only acting in self-defense because Bolek held a kitchen knife to his face during the argument. Generally, self-defense may be a complete defense to murder. To prove self-defense, the defendant will usually have to prove that the killing resulted from a real fear of death or serious bodily injury and that the amount of force used reflected the threat posed.
The jury didn’t buy his defense, however, and convicted him of murder after a six-day trial and two hours of deliberation.
“Linda Bolek did not deserve to die that day by the hands of her own son,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement to the Sun-Times. “She did not deserve to be beaten, stabbed and have chemicals poured over her as she lay helpless on the floor.”
Related Resources:
- Find a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney (FindLaw)
- Man Gets 40 Years for Killing Mom Over Avril Lavigne Concert Tickets (ABC7 News)
- First Degree Murder Defenses (FindLaw)
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