Apr 18, 2018 4 min read

A Washington County jury Wednesday found a retired gym teacher and former wrestling coach not guilty on two charges of simple assault stemming from a fight with his in-laws at a South Strabane Township country club.

Jurors deliberated roughly five hours following the two-day trial of Timothy Mousetis, 61, of East Washington. South Strabane police charged him with attacking his wife’s sister, Debra Abajace, and her husband, John, at the Golf Club of Washington Dec. 16, 2016.

“It’s been a long road for him,” said Mousetis’ attorney, Thomas Will. “I feel like this journey’s over, so he can move on.”

Prosecutors amended a third misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct to a lesser summary offense following the conclusion of the trial. Assistant District Attorney John Friedmann said he did so “to ease the resolution” of the case.

Judge Valarie Costanzo found Mousetis guilty on that and another summary count of harassment. She ordered him to pay $300 in costs on each.

“It was a very important case, a very difficult case,” Friedmann said. “And the length of time they spent deliberating shows that they felt it was as important as everyone involved.”

The jury of nine women and three men had to sift through sometimes conflicting testimony and interpretations of what occurred that night.

“I think that the jury saw the truthfulness of either side and made a thoughtful consideration of that,” Mousetis said. “And that’s why we have the proper verdict.”

Will argued his client was acting in self-defense.

“Mr. Mousetis was struck first, and he reacted,” he said during his closing argument.

Friedmann disagreed.

“We’re pursuing this because what occurred in this case was a crime,” he told jurors.

The Abajaces are pursuing a civil suit against Mousetis and the club.

Mousetis, a 1974 WPIAL champion wrestler as well as coach of the sport, retired from teaching at Canon-McMillan High School shortly after the incident.

Testimony showed he arrived alone at the club that night about 9 p.m., some 20 minutes before the fight. At least twice, he approached the table where the Abajaces were having dinner with guests, including Debra Abajace’s sister, Kim Carnahan, and her husband, Jeff.

The Abajaces’ great-niece was with them that night, but in another room of the club during the fight. There was a dispute among the Abajaces and other relatives over custody of the girl.

Mousetis testified he wanted to confront his in-laws, with whom he previously had a falling out, over actions of theirs he thought were hurting the family.

He admitted he and Debra Abajace traded expletives, and he also directed insults at others in their party.

Surveillance footage of the fight, which was played multiple times during the trial, begins with Mousetis entering the restaurant from another part of the club. He approaches the table as John Abajace, who’s back is to the door, stands to face him.

In footage of the ensuing scuffle, Mousetis grabs Abajace in a headlock and throws several uppercut punches during the scuffle.

The cluster of people around them winds up near a wall in a different part of the room and Debra Abajace appears to hit Mousetis before he slams her head into the wall.

She testified she was trying to pull him away from her husband. Mousetis maintained she attacked him first.

Testimony also differed on who threw the first blow before the fight began.

Abajace testified Tuesday Mousetis hit him with a glass, but denied hitting the other man.

Mousetis told a different story.

“Nothing physical would have happened if I hadn’t been punched in the face,” he said.

He couldn’t recall whether he hit Abajace with a glass.

“I wanted to hit him,” Mousetis testified.

Club owner Jim Cameron backed up Mousetis’ account about who threw the first punch.

Called as a defense witness, he said Abajace was pushing him from behind and then punched his brother-in-law as he stood between the men while they confronted each other.

“Mr. Abajace struck Mr. Mousetis first,” he said.