Man who punched killer in courtroom offered deal

The man who punched condemned killer Clayton Ellington in a DeKalb County courtroom last year can be spared a criminal conviction under an offer from prosecutors Tuesday.

Earl Bradford, 44, of Lithonia, will be required to complete grief counseling, apologize in writing to the court and perform 40 hours of community service, said Artealia Gilliard, spokeswoman for DeKalb Solicitor General Robert James.

In exchange, the misdemeanor battery charge against him will be dropped, Gilliard said.

Bradford was a cousin of Berna Ellington, who was beaten to death with a hammer, along with her 2-year-old twin sons, at her home on May 17, 2006. Her husband, Clayton Ellington, was convicted of the crimes by a DeKalb jury which also returned a death sentence.

As courtroom observers waited for a hearing on Oct. 22, 2008, where the death sentence was to be officially imposed, Bradford jumped from his seat and ran to the defense table. He landed three punches on Ellington’s back and neck before deputies pulled him away.

No one was seriously injured, and the hearing went ahead as scheduled.