A man accused of assaulting his gay neighbor in the spring was convicted last week on some of the charges he faced.
Municipal Court Judge Bradley Moss on Aug. 20 found Michael Marko guilty of making terroristic threats and simple assault. He sentenced him to six-months’ reporting probation.
Marko was accused of pushing Ed Unay April 8 and attempting to strike him with a griddle pan. Unay said Marko, who lived on the same block in Fishtown, had confronted him in the past and repeatedly used antigay slurs during the April incident. Unay said he believed Marko targeted him because he is gay.
Hate-crimes charges weren’t filed, as the state hate-crimes law doesn’t cover sexual orientation.
Marko was found not guilty of possession of an instrument of crime and reckless endangerment.
Unay said he had mixed feelings about the outcome.
“I’m not too happy with it,” he said. “I think he should have gotten a longer probation — I don’t think six months was enough. But at the same time, we won.”
Unay contacted the Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee for support, and secretary Rick Lombardo was present during the process.
Unay said that, since the incident, he has been having panic attacks, and he and his partner have since moved out of the house.
“It’s been really tough adjusting,” he said. “I’m fearful to go to work and am always cautious about my surroundings now.”
Marko was previously arrested for drug offenses, harassment, terroristic threats, assault, reckless endangerment and possessing an instrument of crime.