Jury finds man innocent on armed robbery charge, guilty of assault

SALEM – A Superior Court jury returned a split verdict in the trial of a suspect who prosecutors said participated in the hold-up and beating of a Saugus man in 2009 at the K-Mart parking lot in Saugus.A Salem Superior Court jury comprised of seven women and five men deliberated for about three hours Monday, finding Michael Adams, 25, of 687 Main St., Wakefield, guilty of assault and battery, but innocent of the most serious charge of armed robbery.Adams was sentenced to serve two and a half years at the House of Corrections by Judge Timothy Q. Feeley.Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Kirshenbaum presented evidence during the two-day trial that on July 2, 2009 Adams, along with Andrew Ross, 25, of Saugus, robbed and beat a then 29-year-old Saugus man at K-Mart parking lot at 180 Main St.The victim, Charles Spencer, 30, testified that he pre-arranged with Ross through a friend to sell him stereo equipment.On the afternoon of July 2, Spencer drove to the shopping mall and parked his Toyota on the side near the garden section at K-Mart.He testified that a gray Ford Explorer pulled up behind him and Adams got out, came up to the passenger side of his vehicle and tried to grab his keys out of the ignition, while striking him in the face and demanding money.Ross went to the driver?s side and blocked Spencer from exiting his vehicle, but he eventually was able to exit and run away from the scene.Ross and Adams them jumped back into the Ford Explorer and sped away from the scene.But defense lawyer Kirk W. Bransfield had a different version of the incident, telling jurors in his opening statement that the incident “was not a planned robbery,” but they were there for drugs.Adams took the stand, saying he stayed in the car, was not a participant and saw Ross hitting Spencer, but the jury rejected that entire claim and found he did participate in the beating.Spencer received a cut lip and his nose was bleeding as a result of the attack.The judge credited Adams the 153 days he had spent in jail in lieu of bail on the case.