A homophobic Brooklyn teen convicted of plunging a knife into a gay man’s back was sentenced yesterday to 23 years to life in prison.
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog hit Omar Willock, 18, with the hefty sentence for stabbing Roberto Duncanson, 20, on a Crown Heights street in May 2007.
Prosecutors claimed Willock believed Duncanson was hitting on him and shouted anti-gay slurs at the victim. Willock started to fight with the drunken Duncanson and chased him down and stabbed him.
Willock denied his guilt yesterday as his lawyer tried to shift blame for the murder to his twin brother, Omari.
The victim’s mother, Karen Sterling-Palmer, told the judge that she realizes nothing will bring her son back, but that she had sympathy for Willock’s family.
Assistant DA Howard Jackson said that one witness who testified for the prosecution has received threats since Willock’s conviction and is being relocated.