WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A Macomb County bodybuilder has withdrawn a no contest plea to charges he faces in connection with a brutal attack on his girlfriend.
Paul Bashi, 35, originally pleaded no contest to attempted murder, torture and illegal steroid charges in September. He was supposed to be sentenced in October in connection with the July 29, 2018, attack at a Washington Township home, but court was adjourned after objections to sentencing guidelines were submitted.
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He was scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday, however he withdrew his plea in court. A pretrial hearing is set for Dec. 9.
Video of the attack showed Bashi punching, kicking, stabbing and burning his girlfriend.
What happened
More than 30 minutes of footage shows Bashi punching, kicking, stabbing and burning the 22-year-old woman.
Sources told Local 4 the footage shows Bashi looking at his girlfriend's phone before assaulting her.
She was allegedly hit 50 times, kicked 100 times, stabbed more than 24 times with different knives and burned with hot wax, according to authorities.
Bashi was also accused of hitting her with furniture and throwing cans of protein powder at her, officials said.
The woman was seen moving around during the attack, but she didn't have the strength to escape, authorities said.
Prosecutors said Bashi left his girlfriend lying on the porch of their Washington Township home.
"It was really extreme," neighbor Derrick Williams said. "I mean, she was physically unable to get up off the porch. One of my other neighbors called and said, 'Hey, they had another fight. He ran off. She's sitting on the porch.'"
Williams said he ran two doors down and found his neighbor on the porch.
"She was just sprawled across the porch, not able to move, bloody, groaning and stuff," Williams said.
Police confirmed Bashi and his girlfriend had gotten into a physical altercation. Deputies said they found her lying on the porch, bleeding from multiple puncture wounds to her head and right side.
Bashi was later found walking down a nearby street with blood on his shirt, police said.
Bashi was initially charged with one count of assault with intent to murder and one count of possession of a controlled substance. Police said that substance was Jintropin, which is a steroid.