Colella’s attorney files appeal of his sentence

SALEM – Blake Colella, the 25-year-old Swampscott native convicted of stabbing a man outside the 7-Eleven Store on Essex Street in Lynn two years ago, is appealing his sentence.Attorney Ronald J. Ranta filed the appeal in Superior Court asking the Appellate Division of the Superior Court for a review of the punishment imposed on Colella.Colella, who last lived in an apartment at 69 Lynnway, in Lynn, was found guilty in December of two counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and sentenced to not less than seven and not more than 10 years in state prison for the stabbing of Richard Dalton, 21, on May 19, 2006 and the attack of his brother, Joseph, 18, both of Lynn.However, an appeal of his trial to the higher court has not yet been filed.Colella has the option to file an appeal with the higher court within 60 days from when he was convicted. Ranta filed a notice of Colella’s intention to appeal the verdict, rulings, orders and findings of the trial, but has not yet done so.Ranta was allowed to withdraw from the case and now a public defender from the Committee of Public Counsel Services will be appointed to review his trial since Colella is without funds to prosecute the appeal of this matter.Last month, Colella received another two years tacked onto his sentence after he pleaded guilty to assault, narcotics and witness intimidation charges in connection with incidents that occurred on Sept. 17, 2006 in which he tried to keep two female witnesses, a Swampscott woman and a Salem woman, from testifying against him in the stabbing case with a handgun in his Parkland Avenue apartment.Then three days later, they received threatening phone calls from Colella saying he would shoot them or blow up their respective homes if they testified.He still has another case pending in Superior Court concerning the beating of his 21-year-old ex-girlfriend in June of 2007, allegations he denies.He is scheduled to be back in court on March 27 on the case.