Former police officer sentenced to 60 years

By Josh Green
Gwinnett Daily Post
Jul. 14, 2010

Former Duluth Police officer Jay Dailey gestures to his family and friends as he is taken back into custody following Tuesday's sentencing of 60 years in prison for a string of assaults and a shooting in 2008. (Staff Photo: Jason Braverman)

LAWRENCEVILLE — Friends and family painted Jay Dailey as a Jekyll-and-Hyde figure deserving of leniency — a loving father and husband pulled into malaise by alcoholism and depression that’s haunted his bloodline for generations.

A judge ruled that the Hyde side of Dailey should answer to his actions.

Superior Court Judge Dawson Jackson on Tuesday sentenced Dailey, a former Duluth police officer, to 60 years in prison for his bizarre attacks on citizens and a fellow officer two years ago.

After more than two hours of emotional testimony from victims, Dailey’s supporters and the defendant himself, Jackson sided with prosecutors in giving Dailey twice the prison term he declined in a plea deal before trial.

The sentencing hearing provided glimpses into Dailey’s psyche the day he went off the rails and shocked law enforcement across Georgia. He offered no explanation and claimed to remember only flashes of the ordeal.

Continued