A 44-year-old man who has dealt with homelessness and substance abuse pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all but nine years suspended, for the killing a 74-year-old man in Fells Point last summer.

Timothy Clinedinst was also ordered to five years of supervised probation, including mental health and drug screening after a verbal confrontation led to the death of David Philpot on Aug. 17.

Mary Margaret Philpot, the wife of David Philpot, spoke at the sentencing and talked about how much her husband meant to the family and the Fells Point community. David Philpot was a U.S. Army veteran who was injured in Vietnam and volunteered at a local food bank.

“He was proud of his service to his country,” Mary Margaret Philpot said in court. “He had a kind heart.”

The entire second row of the courtroom was filled with the family and friends of David Philpot.

Clinedinst and Philpot had a brief verbal dispute that escalated into Clinedinst attacking Philpot on the 1700 block of Eastern Avenue, Baltimore Police said.

When officers got to the scene, they found Philpot lying on the ground with a large amount of blood on his right forearm, according to charging documents. He was taken to a hospital and died the following morning. A witness later called police and identified the suspect as Clinedinst, who was then arrested in Baltimore County, police said.

Clinedinst confessed to pushing Philpot to the ground; Philpot suffered a broken hip and bruises and cuts on his arms and back. Philpot had existing health issues that were exacerbated by the assault, charging documents said.

“The victim was a 74-year-old man,” said Manaia Jespersen, assistant state’s attorney at the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City. “The defendant accosted him on the street for no reason whatsoever. He was a vulnerable individual and an upstanding member of the community.”

Jespersen also showed a video that was captured of the assault in court.

Clinedinst has 20 prior convictions in Florida, including smuggling contraband into a detention facility and trespassing. He spent the past six years at the Baltimore Rescue Mission and dealt with substance abuse.

On the day of the attack, Clinedinst’s attorney, Jason Rodriguez, said in court that a new prescription medication — he didn’t disclose which one because of privacy law — mixed with alcohol had side effects and made him “irritable.”

“He is a kind individual,” Rodriguez said in court Thursday. “He has struggled with substance abuse and homelessness for over a decade. This is not who he is.”

Judge Gregory Sampson suspended one year off Clinedinst’s sentence so he could also issue five years’ probation. A maximum sentence does not carry probation.

Near the end of the court appearance, Clinedinst expressed remorse for his actions. He had asked David Philpot for money, which led to an exchange of harsh words and then the assault.

“After I saw he was not getting back up, I was sorry and walked away,” Clinedinst said. “I didn’t know what else to do. I ask God for forgiveness. I’m very sorry.”

Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said he was satisfied with the conclusion of this case.

“Achieving the maximum sentence allowable by law in this plea, while sparing the victim’s family the distress of a trial, is the best outcome we could have hoped for in such a tragic and upsetting case,” Bates said in a statement. “Mr. Philpot was simply walking his dog in his own neighborhood, something we should all be able to do safely in our city. This defendant’s violent attack has taken a beloved husband away from his wife and has created a significant void in the Fells Point community.

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