Southern Illinois man convicted in eye-gouging attack

PICKNEYVILLE, Ill. (AP) - A southern Illinois man has been convicted in connection with an April 2018 attack that left another man blind.

The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports that a Perry County jury reached the verdict Thursday. Allen J. Fisher of Swanwick was convicted of two counts of aggravated assault with great bodily harm and torture for the eye-gouging attack on Robert Pfister.

Testimony revealed that on April 7, 2018, Pfister drove near Fisher's property to look at an old schoolhouse. Fisher followed him.

Pfister pulled over to see what the trouble was. Fisher warned Pfister to stay off his street, then pushed him into a ditch and pressed his fingers into eyes.

Pfister lost his left eye and will likely never regain sight in his right.

Fisher will be sentenced April 24.

___

Information from: Southern Illinoisan, http://www.southernillinoisan.com