An accused Brooklyn gang-banger who fatally shot a man in a revenge slaying, and then threatened the lives of witnesses in the case, was sentenced to 25 years to life yesterday.
Wesley Sykes, 21, refused to enter the courtroom, and it took several court officers more than one hour to coax him inside.
But once he settled in, Judge Abraham Gerges hit him with the maximum sentence for gunning down Dennis Brown, 21, whom he mistook for his look-alike brother, Corey, who supposedly slapped two women in Willoughby Park in Bedford-Stuyvesant, infuriating one of their boyfriends.
Sykes and the boyfriend returned to the park weeks after the assault and shot Brown while Corey and a crowd of witnesses ran for cover.
Sykes was also accused of using his “gang” influence to try to keep three women witnesses from testifying against him. Sykes’ half-brother paid them a collective $2,000 to change their stories.
Key prosecution witness Bobby Gibson, who was Brown’s best friend, was shot dead before he could testify. Suspected triggerman Trevis Ragsdale has been charged with murder.
“It was either lie or die for the three witnesses,” Assistant District Attorney Steven Murphy said.
Judge Gerges said the witnesses “showed great courage and fortitude and took great risks to come forward and seek justice.”
Sykes’ lawyer, Michael Warren, described his client as confused and an orphan who lost his father at the age of 10.
Outside the courtroom, Sykes’ family lashed out at Murphy.
“I’ll take that smirk off your face,” said Sykes’ uncle Arey Robinson, who took offense in Murphy’s courtroom comments that Sykes and several members of his family are known as Blood gang members.
The Sykes family had to be escorted out of the courtroom.