Ann Arbor man convicted in bizarre assault at Miller Manor apartments
An Ann Arbor man was convicted of multiple crimes stemming from an attack on his ex-girlfriend and another man in her Miller Manor apartment in 2008.
Jurors found Simon Phillips III, 50, guilty of assault with intent to commit great bodily harm, assault with a dangerous weapon, home invasion and other weapons violations after a two-day trial last week in Washtenaw County Circuit Court.
Prosecutors said Phillips tried to enter the woman's apartment in the high-rise public housing complex through a balcony door after scaling the outside of the building at about 1 a.m. on Nov. 22, 2008. He fell during the initial attempt, then used a gun to shoot out a first-floor window to get inside the building in the 700 block of Miller Avenue.
Authorities say Phillips then shot through the door of the woman's apartment after she refused to let him inside. No one was struck, but he continued threatening the woman and her new boyfriend, who tried to escape from a fourth-floor window and fell. He suffered substantial injuries but survived.Â
Phillips was also taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center for treatment of a head injury he suffered during his initial attempt to get inside.
Phillips did not testify during the trial.
The same jury also convicted Phillips of two counts of home invasion and domestic violence in an incident involving the same woman about a week earlier. Jurors acquitted him of one count of attempted murder after deliberating for roughly three hours, court records show.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 1.
Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 723-623-2530.
Comments
Life in Ypsi
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 11:51 p.m.
Let's not forget how a senior citizen woman was robbed and choked to death. The person who was accused of doing it was found not guilty even though her blood was on his shoes. I have to say our justice system really failed in that case. I was at the trial and saw the jurors. Young white college age people. I can only guess they were to afraid to convict in fear they would be labeled racist. I believe with all my heart the accused person murdered her. He has been released from prison for quite some time and lives next door to someone I know.
Jeff S
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 3:40 p.m.
Macabre Sunset as a journalism student I would have to say that the use of the word is okay in this case... Otherwise you are correct. And krc that smell was definitely from "Raw Haus" which was recently relocated to Main Street.. Please don't associate pot smokers with real criminals!
shedev
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 11:40 a.m.
I'm not a resident of Miller Manor, but am wondering if any of you have actually been inside the building. I've been there several times and have never experienced any feeling that I was unsafe. Just because one lunatic does something like this does not mean that the whole building is filled with government-leeching degenerates, but I guess I'm not surprised that's the prevailing attitude toward public housing in AA. It is NOT that bad, and certainly not warranting of the comment that a child shouldn't be in there for fear of being hit by gunfire. Give me a break. The majority of crimes in AA occur in the heavily student populated downtown areas...look it up.
uawisok
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 11:36 a.m.
"pot" is the least of the problems there...you were probably smeeling RAAH house adjacent to miller manor...since has fallen into bancruptcy and vacant/boarded up
krc
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 11:26 a.m.
That place is a pit. I've been outside that place during the warmer months with the distinctive smell of burning pot wafting out of the windows and over the parking lot. I think they should make a drug dog a permanent employee.
uawisok
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 10:16 a.m.
This behavior is systemic and you can thank the closing of State mental hospitals that use to house these folks who are a danger to themselves or others...but we just stood by wringing our hands about the costs involved and allowed the State to dismantle the mental health safety net...so we reap what we sow!!
Regular Voter
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 10:05 a.m.
I live a mile west and go past this place twice a day going downtown. What a bunch of scary residents getting on and off the AATA out in front. This is no place for any nice little old white haired grandparents to live. It's been taken over by welfare dependent drug selling and using low lifes, no kid should be in there unless he's crouching in the bathtub to avoid flying bullets. How about some of our generational divide young people go in there and clean it up, it's cheap and within walking distance of all the 24/7 clubs and bars. You'll earn your stripes for citizenship.
caledonia
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 8:24 a.m.
The phrase "after scaling the outside the building" is missing an "of." I agree that "bizarre" in the headline seems like unnecessary editorializing.
zollar
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 7:54 a.m.
Miller Manor was only for seniors at one time.When it and many other Gov. Sub. Senior residences were open to anyone with a disability (any age, mental or physical) it then became a dangerous place to live.Thats when drug dealing etc. started. Sad
MyOpinion
Sun, Mar 7, 2010 : 8:27 p.m.
Another example of mixing apples and oranges as well. I used to think of Miller Manor as an old folks residence, but apparently, it is for anyone on govt subsidies. So imagine how terrified the rest of the residents are when a drug deal goes bad, or a woman throws a boyfriend out, or someone just needs some money?
Macabre Sunset
Sun, Mar 7, 2010 : 1:47 p.m.
Can I ask why the word "bizarre" is in the headline? Didn't journalism classes teach that adjectives are often unnecessary, and, in the case of this story, often misleading? Aside from the headline, seems this guy is extraordinarily dangerous, and it's my hope he doesn't receive one of those innovative lenient sentences Ann Arbor judges are known for. His ex-girlfriend probably won't survive very long otherwise.