Pat O’Brien, former guitarist for Cannibal Corpse, has been sentenced for his 2018 burglary and aggravated assault charges.
Blabbermouth reports that on March 16, O’Brien was sentenced to time served and five years of probation, ordered to pay nearly $24,000 in restitution, submit to regular drug and alcohol evaluations, be subject to random drug testing, and serve 150 hours of community service.
O’Brien, who turns 56 this month, was first arrested and charged in December of 2018.
Authorities were reportedly called to O’Brien’s home in Northdale, FL when it “caught fire with exploding ammunition inside.” While firefighters struggled to put out the fire despite the exploding ammunition, O’Brien had allegedly entered another person’s home nearby where he reportedly pushed a woman down and then hid in the backyard. Authorities were eventually able to subdue O’Brien with a taser after he came at them with a knife. Over 80 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found in his home, including what were described as “military-style flamethrowers.”
O’Brien appeared in court in an anti-suicide vest and shackles. The judge set his bond at $50,000, pending the results of a drug test, and O’Brien was eventually released.
Cannibal Corpse subsequently recruited their frequent producer, Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, ex-Morbid Angel), to fill in for O’Brien on live dates. Initially, both a statement from the band and a subsequent interview with vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher made it seem he welcomed back when the time was right. This past February, however, Rutan was named a permanent member of the band. Metal Blade released Cannibal Corpse’s first album with their new guitarist, Violence Unimagined, on April 16.