House Arrest for Hockey Dad Who Punched Coach's Wife

A South Fayette man originally sentenced to jail time for punching the wife of his son's hockey coach has been resentenced to house arrest.

Timothy Hanna, 64, was sentenced May 25 by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Anthony Mariani to 11½ to 23 months in jail followed by three years of probation, court records show. The sentence came months after Mariani found Hanna guilty of aggravated and simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct in a bench trial.

Hanna was charged in June 2017 when he took issue with his son's playing time on coach Douglas Kelly's ice hockey team.

By the time officers arrived at the Bethel Park YMCA rink, the melee had begun: Hanna had been removed from the ice by security and an assistant coach, but he waited just off-ice for the head coach.

Instead, he ran into the coach's wife, Christie Kelly, who he immediately began verbally attacking, according to the criminal complaint.

Witnesses told police that Hanna, over six feet tall, stood nose to nose with Christie Kelly and looked "as if he was going to kill Christie during the confrontation."

The 5-foot, 3-inch woman pushed Hanna away, and he responded by landing a right hook to her left temple, police said. Hours later, she went to St. Clair Hospital and was diagnosed with a severe concussion.

On Wednesday, Hanna and his attorney, Lea Bickerton, asked for Hanna be released on bond while they appealed the sentence. Mariani instead sentenced Hanna to 18 months of house arrest, with allowances for work, medical appointments and school.

A spokesman for the District Attorney's Office declined to comment. Bickerton did not immediately return requests for comment.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer.

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