Shooting co-defendant sentenced to 5 years

The co-defendant of a man convicted last month of shooting into a vehicle that contained three young girls - including the man's own daughter - was sentenced to at least five years in prison today for his role in the shooting.

John David Knight Jr., 25, had cooperated with investigators since his arrest in November 2007, a prosecutor said.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and one count each of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon and discharging a weapon into an occupied property.

Prosecutor Robby Hicks said Knight accompanied Jermon Leon Owens during an attempted robbery of the man then dating Owens' former wife, Arthur Lee Woods.

The two men waited outside the home, then approached Woods' car as he left.

Shots were fired by Owens and Knight, and two of the young girls were injured, including Owens' daughter, Hicks said. Neither girl was seriously hurt.

Knight said he was unaware that the girls were in the vehicle. He said he thought the men were robbing a drug dealer to get money to buy cocaine.

Cumberland County Superior Court Judge E. Lynn Johnson sentenced Knight to a minimum of five years and a maximum of six years, nine months in prison and gave him credit for the two years, three months he served while awaiting trial.

Owens pleaded guilty last month to the same charges as Knight, as well as a charge of attempted murder, Johnson sentenced him to more than 15 years in prison.

Knight's lawyer, Ronnie Mitchell, said his client refused to ask for bail because he thought he should be punished for his role.

Mitchell said Knight converted to Christianity while in jail and that he was a model prisoner who led regular Bible study sessions.

"He expressed remorse immediately," Mitchell said. "He's not the drug addict that he was. . He's a changed person."