VAN NUYS (CNS) – A Woodland Hills man who used a machete and a knife to attack his estranged wife and a music industry veteran-turned-radio show host last year was sentenced today to 25 years in prison.
Behnam Vasseghi, 58, was sentenced immediately after pleading no contest to two counts each of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and making criminal threats and one count each of first-degree burglary, stalking and corporal injury to a spouse.
Various other counts, including torture and aggravated mayhem, were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
The charges stemmed from a Sept. 15, 2013, attack on Jerry Sharell and Vasseghi’s estranged wife at Sharell’s Woodland Hills home.
Authorities said the victims, who had recently begun dating, were held hostage by Vasseghi for more than five hours. Vasseghi interrogated Sharell and when he got answers he didn’t like, he’d cut Sharell on the neck, according to police.
His ex-wife, who had a restraining order against her former husband, was able to escape and call police, but not before Vasseghi cut off the tip of her nose, authorities said. Before surrendering to police, Vasseghi slashed his own wrists.
Sharell formerly worked with such acts as the Eagles and the Carpenters and hosts a weekly radio show on KJazz called “Sundays with Sinatra.”
He was hired by David Geffen in the 1970s to manage the Asylum Records label, which later became part of Elektra Records, where he worked with Jackson Browne, Harry Chapin, Carly Simon, The Cars, Queen and Motley Crue, among other acts.
Vasseghi has been behind bars on $5.1 million bail since the day of the attack.