By Sharon Coolidge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A Hamilton man facing life in prison in the killing of an elderly Sycamore Township acquaintance made a last-minute plea Thursday, asking the judge to impose a sentence that would someday allow him to walk free.

"I'm sorry to the Brown family," said Eric Robinson, 34, who was convicted last month of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery in the beating death of Harry Brown, an 85-year-old man who often hired him to do odd jobs. "I never meant to cause them pain. It was an accident."

Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen had sought the death penalty, the jury instead recommended life in prison without parole.

Before he sentenced him to life, Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Norbert Nadel scoffed at Robinson's excuse, calling the beating one of the worst he had ever seen. Nadel added that he saw no remorse.

"What kind of remorse do you want?" Robinson said. "To fall on my hands and knees and beg? I'm as sorry as I can be."

To which Nadel responded: "Eric Robinson is asking for mercy. He gave no mercy to Mr. Brown and I won't give him any mercy from this court."

E-mail scoolidge@enquirer.com