CLAY – A Clay County jury has awarded WCHS-TV reporter Bob Aaron $11,000 in damages for the 2014 attack while he was out on assignment.
The $11,000 is for Aaron’s pain and suffering and part of it is punitive damages.
Howard Lilly was ordered on March 30 to pay the money for the pain and suffering he caused Aaron during the 2014 attack.
Lilly pleaded no contest last year to a felony charge of destruction of property. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop felony robbery and grand larceny charges.
On July 7, 2014, Aaron received a tip on a potential story regarding neglected mules and horses near a home on Bomon Road and went to report on the story.
While filming, Lilly allegedly took Aaron’s camera tripod and attacked the television reporter with it. Aaron was injured and the lens of his camera was smashed.
Lilly shouted at Aaron to stop filming and to “head down the road,” according to the suit, however, when Aaron informed him that he was on a public road and would leave once he was finished with the video, Lilly attacked him.
As part of the plea agreement in the criminal case against Lilly, he agreed to pay $2,800 to WCHS-TV for damage to the camera and more than $2,000 in medical expenses for Aaron.
Aaron was represented by Travis Griffith of Olivio & Griffith.
The case was assigned to Circuit Judge Jack Alsop.
Clay Circuit Court case number: 14-C-48