A “HERO” DAD who killed a beggar after he followed his teenage daughter into a toilet has been jailed. Melvin Harris, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after beating Leon Armstrong to death when he went into the ladies’ loo after his 16-year-old daughter. He had been charged with murder, but was caged […]
A “HERO” DAD who killed a beggar after he followed his teenage daughter into a toilet has been jailed.
Melvin Harris, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after beating Leon Armstrong to death when he went into the ladies’ loo after his 16-year-old daughter.
He had been charged with murder, but was caged for eight years on Friday after accepting a plea deal to the lesser charge, FOX 10 of Phoenix reported.
But the girl’s mum, Diana Jackson, defended her fiance’s actions, arguing he was protecting their daughter and hailing him as a hero.
Their daughter and her two pals had asked Harris to stop at a QuikTrip store to use the toilet after he picked them up from work in his car.
He waited in the car where he was approached by Mr Armstrong, who asked for money just before midnight on August 2, ABC15 reports.
Shortly after, he was told the man had walked into the ladies bathroom and tried to get into the stall his daughter was using by shaking the door.
Harris informed staff at the store and told a security guard to “take care of the situation, or he would do it himself,” according to court documents.
The guard told him he would handle the matter but police say that as Harris was driving away he spotted Armstrong and got out of his car to confront him.
Harris struck the man in the face – the blow knocking him over – and then continued to kick and punch him as he lay on the ground.
The dad then got back in the car and drove home leaving Armstrong with a broken nose and brain injuries and he later died in hospital five days later.
Police arrested Harris and he admitted to punching the man but insisted he did not continue to strike him as he lay dying.
Ms Jackson backed her partner’s actions and insisted he had done nothing wrong.
Ms Jackson told KSNT: “I’m not mad at him, I don’t feel like he did anything wrong. I love him.
“He did was he was supposed to do for our kid. You cannot tell someone they’re wrong for protecting their children.”
Harris was initially charged with second degree murder
He pleaded guilty to manslaughter last month, according to the Republic.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
