EAST VILLAGE — The man who fatally beat a grandfather in the East Village last year has been convicted of murder, according to his lawyer.
Jamie Pugh — who was 20 years old when the attack occurred — grabbed 68-year-old Wen Hui Ruan by the shoulders as he walked by and hurled him against a wall on a sidewalk outside 745 E. 6th St. before stomping and kicking him in the head, according to security video that captured the attack.
Ruan, who lived on Avenue C near East 7th Street, was taken to Bellevue Hospital after the attack and later pronounced dead, police said.
Pugh’s mother previously told DNAinfo he had been high on the club drug Molly and did not remember the attack.
Amy Ruan, the victim's daughter, said Pugh's conviction of second-degree murder was "not enough," adding that she hoped for a serious sentencing.
"We never forget the images of his brutal killing of my father," she wrote in an email.
Pugh’s attorney, Frank Rothman, said he disagreed with the jury’s decision, which was first reported by Bowery Boogie. While Pugh intended to harm Ruan, it was unclear if he intended to kill the older man, Rothman explained.
“I believe [Pugh] should have been convicted of manslaughter and not murder but that’s just my opinion,” he said.
Pugh was convicted of second-degree murder on Sept. 24, Rothman said, and could "realistically" spend 20 to 25 years in prison. Pugh's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22.
