Add The New York Post on Google A Queens landlord who “mercilessly slaughtered” his gal pal and two tenants, claiming he was under “a lot of pressure,’’ was hit with three life sentences Tuesday — after balking at a plea deal.
David Daniel, 56, was convicted last month of fatallly slashing the throat of live-in girlfriend Coleen Fields and also killing basement tenants Wayne Thomas and Evette Sweeney at his St. Albans home Nov. 14, 2023.
He told reporters he slaughtered the innocent trio because he had a lot of pressure on him — but he claimed to cops he murdered them because he was “having issues” with his girlfriend and the tenants were behind on their rent, law-enforcement sources have aid.
Despite being given the chance, Daniel never apologized to the victims’ families in court.
He also previously turned down a plea deal that would have sentenced him to 33 years — a decision that the judge scoffed was attributable to the “Rikers Island Bar Association.”
“You need to come to terms with the evil that resides inside of you — people over here talking about God and all that. I’m talking about evil,” Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder seethed at Daniel as he threw the book at him.
“And I’m sure there’s a special place in hell for someone like you.”
Thomas’ sister, Petula Thomas, said in court Tuesday, “The tremendous pain, grief and devastation we felt at the loss of Wayne is further compounded by the fact that his death was so tragic and came at the hands of a demonic, self-centered, insecure, and cool hearted narcissist.
“We can only imagine how Wayne struggled to stay alive as he choked on his own blood,” she said. “Imagine in his last moment how much pain he must’ve suffered, in addition to the pain of their life as his girlfriend, Evette, in bed was been butchered in the same fashion.”
In court Tuesday, Sweeney’s daughter,” Charlene McKenzie, wept as addressed her mom’s violent death.
“You did not take a life, you destroyed a family,” she said. “My mother was more than a victim, she was a daughter, a friend, a grandmother, a sister and my mother. She was kind of person who lit up a room when she walked into her. Period.
“As her only child I never imagine I would have to navigate this life without mother,” she added. “There are memories that will never be made.” This grief never ends.”
Holder exploded at Daniel when he whined that a probation report made him look bad.
“Make you look bad? You killed three people. You stabbed a disabled woman to death in her bedroom while she was sleeping. What gets worse than that?” he snapped. “In what universe do you think you could do that? And then what, go home? What are you thinking?”
Daniel wore brown prison garb in court, glasses and a salt-and-pepper beard.
Just hours after the fatal stabbings, he calmly walked into the 113th Precinct stationhouse and told the desk officer, “I did something bad.” He gave cops his address and said he left the back door unlocked.
Prosecutors said he was later offered a plea deal in exchange for a sentence of 33 years to life but turned it down — bad advice in hindsight that the judge attributed to the “Rikers Island Bar Association.”
