CAPE CORAL, Fla. -- The man accused of plowing his truck into a Cape Coral pool hall last July with deadly results has learned his fate in court after accepting a plea deal Monday afternoon.
75-year-old William Gulliver was facing a slew of charges, including DUI Manslaughter, in connection with that brutal crash at Diamond Billiards on Pine Island Road.
As part of a deal, Gulliver pleaded guilty in court Monday in exchange for seven years in state prison, followed by three-years of probation once he's released.
Prosecutors say Gulliver's blood-alcohol-content was more than five-times the legal limit when he rammed his pickup truck through the entrance of Diamond Billiards. The crash destroyed the pool hall inside, reducing the bar area to rubble and killing Diamond's long-time cook, Ron Gravel.
According to the police report, bartenders had recently kicked Gulliver out for groping women and acting sloppy.
Monday in court, both Ron Gravel's daughter and brother spoke out, expressing their losses. Gulliver was also willing to speak, but his attorney advised against it, because Gravel's family has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
Meanwhile, as part of his sentence, Gulliver's license has been revoked for life and he must pay $20,000 in restitution. That money will be split between Gravel's family and two others who were also hurt in that crash.
