BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Former Boston Celtics guard Jabari Bird admitted to sufficient facts for a guilty finding in his domestic assault case at a hearing in Brookline District Court Monday morning.
Bird is accused of assaulting his former girlfriend and attempting to strangle her in his apartment last September. He remains free on $50,000 bail.
The admission lets him avoid a trial, but it's still up to the judge to decide what penalties and other court-ordered restrictions may still be applied to Bird. Prosecution and defense attorneys have offered vastly different recommendations.
At the hearing, Bird's alleged victim—a college student—sat in the courtroom as prosecutors read her impassioned victim impact statement, which described a year-long physically and emotionally abusive relationship that continued despite problems related to trust.
She said that Bird had threatened to kill her at times, and that things came to a head when she confronted Bird with a text that accused him of cheating on her.
The defense, speaking for Bird, said he has mental health issues he's been trying to address. His attorney said he'll be returning to California to live with his mother as he awaits the judge's decision.
The Celtics traded Bird to Atlanta last month.
WBZ NewsRadio's Mike Macklin reports