This man got 40 years in jail for pouring boiling water over gay couple

A US jury has sentenced a Georgia man to 40 years in prison for attacking and maiming a sleeping gay couple with scalding water in February.

Anthony Gooden, 23, and Marquez Tolbert, 21, were in bed when Martin Blackwell, 48, who was in a relationship with Gooden’s mother and shared her apartment, poured a pot of boiling water over them.

His reason? Because he didn’t approve of their “disrespectful” sexuality.

When Tolbert jumped out of bed screaming in agony, Blackwell shouted: “Get out of my house with all that gay!”

He later told police: “They was stuck together like two hot dogs, so I poured a little hot water on them and helped them out.”

The young couple both suffered severe burns and required skin grafts and surgery, with Gooden being put in a medically induced coma for two weeks.

Blackwell admitted to what he did but claimed that he didn’t intend to hurt the men. The prosecution dismissed this and pointed out that he chose the biggest pot in the apartment and waited for the water to boil before dumping it on the sleeping couple.

Blackwell’s lawyers asked for leniency, explaining that he was simply guilty of “old-school thinking” and “reckless behaviour,” but not hate.

After 90 minutes of deliberation the jury found him guilty of aggravated battery and aggravated assault.