Dana Point Man Gets 18 Years in Fatal 2011 Stabbing

A 26-year-old Dana Point man has been sentenced to 18 years, 8 months to life in state prison for fatally stabbing an Air Force veteran and wounding another man in a brawl at a 2011 New Year's party in Costa Mesa. Adam Randy Baker was convicted Dec. 12 of second-degree murder and attempted murder.

Adam Randy Baker was convicted Dec. 12 of second-degree murder and attempted murder in the death of 27-year-old Robert Sickles and the wounding of his 26-year-old friend, Brian McTeigue, just before 2 a.m. Jan. 1, 2011.

Read mother Robin Sickles describe her son's life here.

As the party was winding down two years ago, Baker was smoking a cigarette and sending text messages to friends, defense attorney Gary Pohlson said in his closing argument. He flicked a cigarette into the crowd, and two minutes later he was involved in a deadly struggle.

Pohlson argued during the trial that it was a "glorified bar fight that went horribly wrong" and that Baker was the victim and was trying to defend himself.

Murphy, however, said that after flicking the cigarette, Baker walked toward the victim's group saying, "What the (expletive) are you looking at?"

Murphy argued Baker started the fight, making him responsible for what happened.

"You can't pick a fight and pull out a knife in a fist fight," Murphy said in his closing argument.

Baker spent nearly a week in a hospital, but Sickles and McTeigue had been within their rights to defend themselves, Murphy said.

The prosecutor said Sickles likely saved McTeigue's life.

"Robert Sickles saved his friend's life. It was the last thing he did," Murphy said after the verdicts were announced.

Baker testified during the trial that he could not recall the fight. He said he went to the party forgetting that he had left in his pocket a knife that he had been using to open boxes at his job.

Baker shoved Sickles, slashed him with the knife and then plunged it into his chest, Murphy said. In the scrum, McTeigue was stabbed in the back.

-- City News Service