Former Cannibal Corpse guitarist sentenced for 2018 assault and burglary

Former Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O’Brien has been sentenced in connection with his December 2018 arrest for a bizarre series of incidents which saw him charged with with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon and burglary of an occupied dwelling.

On March 16, the guitarist was sentenced to time served, given five years of probation and ordered to pay $23,793.45 (approximately £17,175) in fines. O’Brien was also ordered to get drug and alcohol evaluations and to undertake community service. The Kentucky-born musician was also ordered to abstain from alcohol and controlled substances, and will be subject to random testing.

In the December 2018 incident in Florida, it was alleged that O’Brien forced his way into an occupied family home, and ran towards police brandishing a knife when confronted, while his nearby rented home was on fire. At the time, The Tampa Bay Times reported that in the hours leading up to the incident, O’Brien had called relatives warning about “the rapture” and that “aliens have landed.”

It was subsequently revealed that fire marshals found close to 50 shotguns, 10 semi-automatic rifles, 20 handguns and two flamethrowers at O’Brien’s home. The guitarist made his first appearance in court in 2018 in anti-suicide smock, and was subsequently bailed. 

The guitarist has been replaced in Cannibal Corpse by producer and Hate Eternal frontman Eric Rutan.

Metal Hammer wishes Pat O’Brien well with his recovery.

Source: loudersound.com