State Appeals 'Lenient' Sentence for Assault That Left Herzliya Valet Paralyzed
The Tel Aviv District Prosecutor's Office has appealed a 21-month prison sentence handed to Daniel Cohen for assaulting a parking attendant in Herzliya. The state demands 48 months in prison, citing that the victim was left 100% disabled.
An appeal has been filed with the Tel Aviv District Court against the leniency of the sentence imposed on Daniel Cohen, 33, of Herzliya. Cohen confessed and was convicted under a plea bargain of causing grievous bodily harm after punching a parking lot attendant who warned him against parking in a prohibited spot. As a result of the blow, the worker was left 100% disabled.
The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court previously sentenced Cohen to 21 months in prison. The prosecution is now requesting to increase his sentence to 48 months of actual imprisonment.
Severe Consequences of a Parking Dispute
According to the amended indictment to which he pleaded guilty, in July 2022, Cohen and his brother arrived at a parking lot in Herzliya and parked in a prohibited space. The parking attendant approached them and asked them to move the vehicle. An argument ensued, during which Cohen punched the attendant in the face, causing him to fall and strike his head on the pavement. The worker lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital. Following the injury, the victim became 100% disabled, paralyzed in all four limbs, and requires full-time nursing care.
Prosecution Demands Stricter Punishment
In the appeal filed by the Tel Aviv District Prosecutor's Office through Attorney Tal Banai Gat, it is argued that the Magistrate's Court failed to give appropriate weight to the catastrophic damage caused to the victim:
"The victim's life has been completely overturned, turning him into a nursing patient requiring close care for the rest of his life. The court did not properly weigh the mental, emotional, functional, and economic damage, nor the fact that he was hospitalized for approximately nine and a half months."
The prosecution further argued that the legal precedents relied upon by the lower court involved cases where the damage was incomparably lighter than the irreversible injury caused here. It also emphasized that Cohen, who was 29 at the time, initiated violence against a 58-year-old man who was legitimately performing his job without any provocation.
