Bodybuilder Paul Bashi wants to blame steroids for the brutal assault that almost killed his girlfriend.
Paul Bashi, a national-level NPC middleweight bodybuilder living in the Detroit-area, pleaded no contest to assault with intent to murder, torture, and possession of a Controlled Substance (anabolic steroids) in Macomb County Circuit Court on September 10, 2019.
David Griem, the defense attorney representing Bashi, has apparently recognized that there is no hope of keeping his client out of prison. But Griem hopes to get a reduced sentence by desperately seeking to blame something else for Bashi’s actions.
In order to do this, Griem wants to link the assault with anabolic steroids. Griem argued that Bashi acted largely under the influence of anabolic steroids in a case of “roid rage” when he attacked Perry.
Steroids did NOT cause Paul Bashi to repeatedly kick, punch and stab his girlfriend no matter what his attorney says.
Bashi has been incarcerated on a $5 million bond ever since he brutally assaulted girlfriend Kristina Perry on July 29, 2018. Bashi inflicted over 100 kicks, 50 punches, and 24 knife wounds on Perry over a 40-minute period. He also threw a chair and candles at her. The entire incident was recorded by a closed circuit video camera that he had installed for home security.
Perry was found bleeding profusely with multiple fractures and was barely clinging to life according to police reports. Law enforcement officials called it the worst non-fatal beating they had ever seen. Perry was hospitalized and remained in a coma for a few days following the attack. She has since recovered from most of her physical injuries.
Perry refused to press charges against Bashi. She insisted that she still loved him and had forgiven him. She told the judge that she deserved to be attacked. Fortunately, prosecutors did not need her testimony to prosecute Bashi. The CCTV video and the hospital records provided all of the evidence they needed.
Bashi is a career-criminal with multiple previous arrests including two for domestic violence. He spent six year in federal prison after he was convicted of a $6-million mortgage fraud scheme.
Hopefully, Macomb County Judge Joseph Toia will reject any consideration of the steroids-made-me-do-it defense strategy.
Judge Toia has taken Bashi’s plea under advisement. The plea did not involve a “Cobb agreement” that would give Bashi a more lenient sentence.
Bashi is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on October 23, 2019.