Collin West apologizes in a letter to a Macomb County judge to “everybody affected” by a 2022 stabbing incident in a Fraser home that left one teenager dead and himself and another boy suffering from stab wounds.
He is seeking probation at his sentencing later this month.
“I would never wish this on anybody and I sincerely apologize to everybody affected by my actions. I would do whatever to take this back but all I can do is improve myself and continue bettering my mindset because I lost one of my best friends,” West says in a letter to Circuit Court Judge Michael Servitto. “I will never forget that and the remorse I feel for letting him get hurt and it truly made me open my eyes and fight for a better real future to make Trent, My family, and myself proud.”
Trent Redstrom, 14, was killed, another 14-year-old male juvenile, “CH,” and West, 16 at the time, were wounded in the Sept. 13, 2022 in the home of Nolan Stickney, who police and prosecutors determined stabbed Redstrom as well as West in defense of himself and others.
West, Redstrom and two minor girls entered the home and attacked CH and Stickney and their two girlfriends following weeks of verbal altercations and what the victims said were threats, according to police and prosecutors. The two girls who broke into the home were charged as adults with home invasion and misdemeanor assault for which they received probation under the Holmes Youthful Trainee (HYTA) in which any convictions will be erased from the public record if they meet conditions.
West’s attorney Jeffery Cojocar, says the victims should have been criminally charged (see related story).
West, now 18, of Warren, was charged as an adult with attempted murder for his attack on CH and first-degree home invasion but pleaded guilty to the reduced charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and second-degree home invasion. While attempted murder carries a sentence of up to life in prison, the assault charge’s maximum penalty is 10 years. The home-invasion maximum penalty was reduced from 20 to 15 years.
Cojocar says he is seeking probation under HYTA, due to “mitigating circ*mstances.” Under HYTA, Servitto also could order him to serve time in a special youth prison. Prosecutors are not opposing the designation. If Servitto declines to go along with HYTA, West could withdraw his plea.
Cojocar says prosecutors agreed to the plea deal due to “some of the evidentiary and factual weaknesses in their case, and the realistic possibility that Collin could have been acquitted of all charges brought against him.”
Cojocar argues: “The facts and evidence in the case could not be in more dispute, but one thing is clear – if the jury believed the prosecution’s version of the incident, Collin would have (1) not received the benefit of a HYTA plea bargain, (2) been convicted of certain offenses that could never be expunged under Michigan law, (3) deal with dramatically higher (sentencing) guidelines (scored at 81 to 135 months), and (4) given these aggravating circ*mstances, mostly likely received a prison sentence.”
Cojocar believes prosecutors agreed to the deal because they understood the “obstacles” to conviction on the initial charges. He disputes probation officials’ determined that West’s guidelines are from three years to one month short of six years, contending they should be 29 to 57 months. But, he says, “To put it bluntly, the defense does not care what the guidelines are, as they should be completely ignored by this Honorable Court, and Collin should be treated similarly to his co-defendants placed on HYTA probation with an opportunity earn a complete dismissal of both charges.”
If West is not given HYTA and goes forward with the guilty plea, he would be allowed years later to seek to have the convictions expunged.
If West is given probation, he could work at KIMASTLE Corp., a family-owned business in Chesterfield Township, where he has been working. The company is “a plastic assembler and automation integrator for the automotive, medical, military, and food industries,” the company says.
West is training to work in the electrical department, says Kirk Gilewski of KIMASTLE in a letter provided by Cojocar.
“Collin West is a bright young man with a ton of ambition and capability,” Gilewski says. “Our managers have provided positive feedback with his training and would like to see him continue within our electrical department. This young man has always shown respect to his leaders and peers. We expect him to continue with his training and work with our team and customers.”
Gilweski references West’s involvement in the criminal incident as “a shock to hear that Collin would be going through something like this.”
West says he was scheduled to graduate this month from an online program through Clintondale Community Schools and may attend a trade school or go into an apprenticeship program.
“I really enjoy what I do and plan on making something good out of a second chance that I’ve been given at life and show everybody who stayed with me through this and helped me become better, that I have learned from this experience and won’t let what happened define me,” he says.
He adds the 2018 death of his mother impacted him and “was difficult to understand.”
“I’ve been to multiple therapist (sic) but couldn’t seem to open up or feel any benefits from it,” he says. “Throughout everything that has happened in my life mainly recent events I have learned to accept things in the past and been able to open up more about how I feel to other people and discovering ways to avoid situations that could trigger trauma and how I can cope with those situations that have happened in the past or could happen in the future.”
He notes he has complied with bond conditions and says he hopes Servitto will remove his tether so he can “go fishing or play football again, to go up north and ride the dirt bikes and quads with my family and friends a spot where I’ve always felt most comfortable.” He says he also has a passion for cars or “anything motor” and wants to attend “car meets” with his father and teach his nephew about cars.
