Three MSU varsity hockey players testified in East Lansing’s 54-B District Court on Wednesday as witnesses in the assault case of MSU advertising junior Brandon Carmack, who allegedly tried to assault his girlfriend on the night of Aug. 27 and the early hours of Aug. 28 in the 600 block of Grand River Avenue.
Carmack originally told police he was kicked, beaten and stabbed by members of the MSU hockey team. He later was charged with two counts of assault and battery, one count of domestic assault and battery, one count of filing a false police report of a felony and one count of stalking.
The incident occurred at what the Ingham County Assistant Prosecutor Russel Church referred to as the “hockey house” throughout Wednesday’s hearing.
The prosecuting attorney now also is looking into a home invasion charge against Carmack after he allegedly entered MSU junior Therese Kerr’s home.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Carmack’s attorneys stood by his account of being assaulted by hockey players, including junior defenseman Jake Chelios and junior goaltender Will Yanakeff, both of whom testified Wednesday.
Despite their claims, all of the witnesses from the party testified Yanakeff was not at the house that night.
Kerr, who told the defense she was Carmack’s on-and-off girlfriend of a year and a half before the alleged attack, was the first person called to testify.
Kerr said Carmack allegedly sought her out on Aug. 27 after she ignored him that day, despite her sleeping over and being intimate with Carmack the previous night.
Kerr said Carmack found her at the “hockey house” and tried to force her to leave with him. Multiple witnesses testified Carmack violently pursued her inside the house before the hockey players intervened.
Multiple witnesses said Chelios came downstairs to break up the altercation and restrain Carmack.
A fight allegedly then broke out between the two inside the house and moved to the front yard.
Carmack seemed remorseful after the fight, witnesses said, and was helped away from the house before returning to find Kerr.
Afterward, Carmack allegedly was walking on Beal Street when he saw MSU junior and acquaintance Diana Steele, who attempted to help him with his injuries.
Steele testified Carmack had noticeable injuries to his head and had blood on his arms.
Steele said Carmack told her Yanakeff had attacked him.
While being questioned, East Lansing Police officer Jeff Thomas said he was dispatched to inspect Carmack’s injuries and locate Yanakeff, but said he found no evidence of there being a physical altercation between the two after inspecting Yanakeff’s knuckles.
Carmack currently still is out on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. No further trial date is set as of this time.
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