A man from Plymouth Township admitted to stabbing his brother during a disagreement at a Pottstown motel. He said he got angry and attacked his brother. He has accepted guilt for the assault and is waiting for the judge's decision.
Austin Dominick Griffin, 22, from the 1900 block of Sandy Hill Road, pleaded guilty to a serious assault charge related to the stabbing on Feb. 25, 2023 in Pottstown.
Judge Risa Vetri Ferman postponed sentencing so that court officials can finish a background check on Griffin, including a mental health evaluation. Griffin was allowed to remain on bail but was told not to have any contact with his brother.
By accepting the aggravated assault charge, Griffin acknowledged that he tried to cause harm to another person with a dangerous weapon.
An inquiry started around 4:25 p.m. Feb. 25 when Pottstown police were called to Pottstown Hospital for a report of a stabbing victim, as per a criminal complaint filed by Pottstown Police Corporal Todd Istenes.
The victim told police that his brother, Griffin, stabbed him during an altercation on a balcony outside a room of the America’s Best Value Inn motel at 29 E. High Street, according to court documents. When police went to the motel room they encountered Griffin outside the room “cleaning the cement with a rag and a solution” and Griffin told police he was “cleaning up the blood from a fight,” according to the criminal complaint.
Police also learned that a knife had been found on a nearby parking lot.
The investigation determined that the victim had gone to the motel room where Griffin was staying because he believed Griffin had stolen his gaming console, court papers indicate.
“The two began to talk, then argue,” Istenes alleged, adding that as the victim began to walk away from the room Griffin came out of the room and fired a BB gun at him multiple times.
The victim turned back and approached the room.
“The door to the room is shut as the victim gets close to it. Austin then opens the door, exits the room and immediately stabs the victim in the left side of his ribs, toward his back,” Istenes alleged.
The pair continued to fight but eventually disengaged and the victim walked away while Griffin went back inside the motel room.
“During an interview, Austin admitted to stabbing the victim because he got angry and snapped,” Istenes alleged, adding the stabbing incident was recorded by surveillance cameras at the motel. “The knife used to stab the victim was also collected as well as blood evidence. The knife had an approximately 6-inch blade.”
Other charges of possessing an instrument of crime, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person are slated to be dismissed against Griffin at time of sentencing.
Assistant District Attorney Anne Caitlyn O’Connell is handling the case. Defense lawyer Benjamin Cooper represents Griffin.
