Cable firm ordered to pay over $7 billion in damages to household of Texas grandmother murdered by worker

A cable firm has been ordered to pay over $7 billion in damages to the household of 83-year-old Texas grandmother Betty Thomas who was brutally stabbed to demise in her residence by a Spectrum worker in 2019. 

Roy James Holden, an installer for Spectrum, owned by Charter Communications, had carried out work at Thomas’ residence in Irving in December 2019, police stated on the time.

Holden returned the following day in uniform and utilizing the corporate’s van whereas he was off, posing as if he was on the job, and killed her, then used her playing cards for a procuring spree after her homicide, prosecutors stated.

In June, a Dallas County jury discovered Constitution Communications negligent and grossly negligent in Thomas’ demise.

The jury awarded a verdict of $375 million in compensatory damages and stated the corporate was answerable for paying 90% of it after the trial revealed “systemic failures” within the firm’s pre-employee screening, hiring and supervision practices. 

On Tuesday, the decision for punitive damages was introduced — bringing the full to $7.37 billion. 

Trial lawyer Chris Hamilton, who represented the Thomas household within the case, stated, “This was a stunning breach of religion by an organization that sends staff inside hundreds of thousands of properties yearly.”

“The jury on this case was considerate and attentive to the proof. This verdict justly displays the in depth proof concerning the character of the hurt brought on by Constitution Spectrum’s gross negligence and reckless misconduct. For the security of the American public, we are able to solely hope that Constitution Spectrum and its shareholders are listening.” 

Trial testimony within the case revealed that Constitution Spectrum employed Holden “with out verifying his employment, which might have revealed that he had lied about his work historical past,” Hamilton stated in a launch. The testimony included “pink flags” allegedly ignored by Spectrum supervisors. 

The discharge, by Hamilton Wingo LLC, acknowledged that Constitution Spectrum regularly refused “to right its negligent security practices.”

The jury additionally discovered that after Thomas’ household filed a lawsuit, attorneys for the communications firm “used a solid doc to attempt to power the lawsuit right into a closed-door arbitration the place the outcomes would have been secret and damages for the homicide would have been restricted to the quantity of Ms. Thomas’s closing invoice.”

“The jury discovered that Constitution Spectrum dedicated forgery past an inexpensive doubt, conduct that constitutes a first-degree felony below Texas regulation,” the discharge acknowledged. 

Legal professionals for the household additional acknowledged there was a sample of thefts by Constitution Spectrum workers in opposition to clients totaling “greater than 2,500 within the previous a number of years.”

Attorneys famous that even after the grisly homicide, her household was hit with a invoice from Spectrum that included a $58 cost for Holden’s service name and the unpaid payments finally had been despatched to a set company.

Holden was arrested on capital homicide on Dec. 13, 2019, in reference to Thomas’ demise, the Irving Police Department said. He pleaded responsible to homicide in April 2021 and is serving a life in jail sentence, NBC Dallas Fort-Worth reported.

A spokesperson for Constitution Communications stated they plan to attraction the Tuesday verdict, arguing the worker was solely answerable for Thomas’ demise. 

“Our hearts exit to Mrs. Thomas’ household within the wake of this mindless and tragic crime. The accountability for this horrible act rests solely with Mr. Holden, who was not on responsibility, and we’re grateful he’s in jail for all times. Whereas we respect the jury and the justice system, we strongly disagree with the decision and can attraction,” the assertion shared with NBC Dallas Fort-Value stated. 

The corporate argued the homicide “was not foreseeable” and known as the plaintiffs’ claims of wrongdoing “categorically false.”

“We’re dedicated to the security of all our clients and took the required steps, together with an intensive pre-employment felony background examine — which confirmed no arrests, convictions or different felony conduct,” the assertion continued. “Nor did something in Mr. Holden’s efficiency after he was employed recommend he was able to the crime he dedicated, together with greater than 1,000 accomplished service calls with zero buyer complaints about his conduct.”