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Byad Lockett, 22, has been sentenced to 20 years in state prison for attempting to murder Jayshawn Boyd by beating him with a microwave oven and other items during a riot that scared off even the guards, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office announced on Wednesday, Sept. 6.
The Newark resident was ordered to serve at least 85 percent of the sentence (17 years) under the state's "No Early Release Act."
"(The beating of Boyd) was savage, brutal, and heinous, and that you have no remorse in you whatsoever for committing this inhuman and barbaric act," Judge Ronald Wigler said at his sentencing.
According to prosecutors, in September 2021, seven inmates - including Lockett - attacked Boyd in a common area of the jail, knocking him unconscious and stomping on his head.
Upon seeing the riot, the single corrections officer assigned to the area fled for his safety, and the violence rapidly escalated.
When Boyd was knocked out, officials say that Lockett continued the assault with the microwave, a multi-gallon beverage dispenser, and a broom.
The entire incident was caught on camera.
In June, Lockett was found guilty of multiple crimes, including attempted first-degree murder, second-degree aggravated assault, and possession of a microwave for an unlawful purpose.
"Newark and the Essex County Correctional Facility are safer knowing that Byad Lockett will be in New Jersey State prison for the next two decades," Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab stated.
The judge ordered that his sentence be added to his existing 12-year prison term, leaving him with 32 years left to serve. When he is released, he will also be on five years of parole.
"This sentence," Assistant Prosecutor William Chalmers added, "is the direct result of the witnesses who came forward and testified against Lockett.
"We are grateful for their bravery."
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