By Khalida Sarwari
Editors please note: Paragraphs six and 14 contain language that some readers might find offensive.
A preliminary hearing was held at the Hall of Justice in San Jose today for a man accused of attacking a Jesuit priest in Los Gatos last year over allegations of past sexual abuse.
William Lynch, 44, is charged with one count of felony assault with the intent to cause great bodily injury in connection with the beating of Jerold Lindner, 65, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center on May 10, 2010, according to prosecutor Vicki Gemetti.
If convicted, Lynch could face up to four years in prison.
Mary Margaret Eden, an administrative worker at the center, was one of three witnesses who testified today. She said she was in her office on May 10 when she heard “very loud and angry voices” coming from the parlor nearby.
She said she didn’t recognize the voices and couldn’t make out what they were saying, but as she neared the parlor, she could hear someone crying for help.
Eden said she also heard a man saying, “You f—ed up my life and my brother’s life. You ruined our lives.”
When she walked in, Eden said she saw Lindner crouched on the ground next to a couch with blood on his face and on his shirt. Another man, wearing a baseball cap, gloves and beige jacket, was also in the room, Eden testified.
She identified the man as Lynch and said she saw him punch Lindner twice, but that when he saw her in the doorway, a look of surprise came over his face and he stopped.
She said she remembered his eyes were “very intense” and that she felt like he was “out of control.”
She said Lynch walked past her and paced in the hallway for about three minutes, appearing visibly upset. Meanwhile, she told a receptionist named Carole to call 911.
Eden said she went over to Lindner and asked him if he needed help walking, then assisted him down to the infirmary, where he was treated for lacerations on his face and ear.
During the cross-examination, Lynch’s attorney, Pat Harris, asked Eden why she hadn’t told police that day that she had witnessed Lynch beating Lindner. She said she could not remember.
Eden told Harris the center serves as a place for retired priests and priests who are ill and need help. She admitted the center also houses priests convicted of molestation.
She said she heard Lynch say to Lindner, “I f—ed my own brother. You made me f— my own brother.”
Harris asked Judge David Cena to lower the charge from a felony to a misdemeanor, saying that Linder’s injuries were moderate.
He also requested that Lindner testify before the court about the level of pain he experienced, but Cena denied that request.
Prior to the hearing, about 50 of Lynch’s supporters gathered outside the Hall of Justice with picket signs that read, “Jail Father Jerry Lindner,” and, “Clergy Sexual Abuse Steals Lives.”
Eric Boyenga, a 43-year-old Los Gatos resident and friend of Lynch’s, said he had noticed a dramatic change in Lynch’s behavior after the alleged sexual abuse. He said he was concerned that the church was “spending all of their resources to protect pedophiles.”
“I feel that the church should be open about the clergy abuse. For years they’ve been covering it up,” Boyenga said.
Cena will announce Thursday morning whether he will order Lynch to stand trial.