Hired attack in Spotsylvania nets 8 years

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BY KEITH EPPS

A man who got his intoxicated friend to stab his wife’s boyfriend was ordered Tuesday to serve eight years in prison.

Matthew Evan Dickey, 30, had previously been convicted in Spotsylvania County Circuit Court of aggravated malicious wounding and criminal solicitation.

Judge David Beck sentenced Dickey to a total of 25 years in prison, with all but eight suspended.

According to evidence presented by prosecutor Crystal Montague–Holland, Earnest Nicholson and Rene Dickey were together in a Motel 6 in Spotsylvania on Sept. 23.

While getting intoxicated with his friend Justin Gilbert, Matthew Dickey concocted a plan in which Gilbert would attack Nicholson in exchange for money.

Gilbert told police that he was to get $20,000 if he didn’t get caught and $50,000 if he went to jail and kept Dickey’s name out of the investigation. He never got anywhere near that amount of money.

Nicholson answered a knock on the motel door that night and was stabbed in the throat by a masked assailant.

During the ensuing struggle, Nicholson was cut on the hand and across his back.

He pulled the mask off his attacker and got a good look at him as the man ran off.

Rene Dickey and Nicholson later saw a picture of Gilbert on Facebook, and Nicholson identified him as the attacker. Gilbert’s DNA was also recovered from the mask.

Gilbert has already been convicted of aggravated malicious wounding. He will be sentenced July 23.

According to the evidence, Matthew Dickey provided the mask and a ride to the motel. Gilbert said Dickey also offered him a knife, though he ended up using his own knife.

Dickey wrecked the getaway car that night in the area of Mine and Benchmark roads.

He wasn’t immediately arrested, but police later determined that he’d made calls to the motel room prior to the attack using a phony name.

He was also implicated in monitored jail calls from Gilbert, court

records show.

Defense attorney Stacey Garcia said the incident was the result of Dickey’s obsession with his wife and a “bad drunken night between two high school buddies.”

Garcia said there was never a plan to kill Nicholson, though there was talk of hurting him and putting a scare into him.

She said Dickey had already taken his wife back after she became impregnated by another man, and “here she is shacked up yet again.”

Dickey cried just before Beck pronounced sentence, and expressed remorse for his actions.

Keith Epps: 540/374-5404

kepps@freelancestar.com

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