“I loved this man,” Faheem Harris told the judge as he spoke during a hearing to detain him in his longtime boyfriend’s killing.
Harris, 36, is accused of fatally stabbing Daimyen Mortimore inside the Atlantic City home they had just started sharing.
Mortimore, 38, was found dead at about 3:30 p.m. March 23, inside Harris’ Albion Avenue home.
Harris was in court Wednesday as the state successfully sought to have him held in jail pending trial.
“What happened was not malicious,” Harris said. “It was not my intent to take him away from them and myself.”
“Whatever time you all give me it’s going to be worth it because I owe these people,” Harris tearfully told Superior Court Judge Michael Blee.
But, he asked that he be given a chance to get the people and things he’s leaving behind in order before any prison time.
Harris said he is not a danger to anyone, despite the deadly fight with his boyfriend.
Police were called to the residence by a woman crying hysterically in a 911 call, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Seth Levy said.
Harris first texted his brother saying that he loved him. Later, he ran to his mother’s home on Pennsylvania Avenue, telling them of the fight and asking that they check on Mortimore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtd_gNnHhJ8&t=88s
Harris told police that the two had been drinking and got into a fight over issues they had over the years. He said he “poked” Mortimore with a steak knife from the kitchen, and that ended the argument, according to the charges read in court by Blee.
Mortimore then took a shower and went to bed. Harris said when he woke up, Mortimore wouldn’t respond and was gasping for breath. He died of a stab wound to the chest.
“I didn’t do what I should have done, (which) was called 911,” Harris said. “When he said he was alright, I should have done it.”
He said the two have been in each other’s lives since he was 16 and Mortimore 18.
Harris’ proclamations of love and regret upset several of Mortimore’s loved ones who attended the hearing.
“I’m done,” cried one woman as she stormed toward the door. “You murdered my brother. I’m done.”
Blee cited Harris’ decision to leave Mortimore wounded and not call police right away as reasons for denying his release. He also said Harris was not fully forthcoming initially.
In court, Harris indicated he had gone in to fix food during the fight and that he turned with the knife as Mortimore ran toward him.
“He charged. The knife went in,” he said.
Harris will remain in jail pending trial. No future court date is set at this time.
[visual-link-preview encoded="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"]
