Judge revokes bail for Willem Spetch, defendant charged in DWI crash that killed Joseph DeVito of Wantagh
Surveillance camera image provided by the Nassau County District Attorney's Office appears to show Willem Specht outside a liquor store. Credit: NCDA/NDOK
A Wantagh man charged with killing a pedestrian in a drunken driving crash found himself back behind bars Wednesday with his bail revoked after prosecutors said they discovered that he skipped a court date for a trip to the liquor store.
On Feb. 2, 2023, Willem Specht, 63, was ordered by Supreme Court Justice Teresa Corrigan to remain sober as a condition of his bail ahead of his pending trial on vehicular manslaughter, assault and aggravated drunken driving charges.
Specht is accused of backing over Joseph DeVito, 61, around 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 18, 2023, in the On-Parade Diner parking lot in Woodbury. His blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit to drive, prosecutors said.
"You appear to be a nasty drunk. I am not going to tolerate it anymore," the judge said at a hearing that reduced his bail from $500,000 to $125,000. She warned him not to drink or be "one minute late" for future court dates or she would put him back in jail.
Last month, however, prosecutors say, Specht missed a 9 a.m. June 10 court date because he said he hit his head and was in the hospital.
Assistant Nassau County District Attorney Michael Bushwack said that video surveillance footage shows Specht crossing Merrick Road at 10:37 a.m. that day to enter Seaside Wine & Liquors, where he bought a pint of Svedka vodka. Moments later, footage shows him drinking from the bottle several times, according to Bushwack, who wrote a letter asking his bail to be revoked.
Specht’s lawyer, Stephen LaMagna, said that his client did go to the hospital that day for an injury to his side, but admitted it wasn’t until about 11:30.
Skipping the June court date wasn’t the only violation of the judge’s prohibition on drinking.
On Feb. 3, the manager of Dirty Taco & Tequila in Wantagh kicked Specht out of the restaurant, he told police, for "grabbing my staff, touching other staff," Bushwack said.
Police had to escort him out of the restaurant for the second time in months and then later found him face down on the sidewalk outside of Seaford Discount Beverage, the prosecutor said. A pint of Svedka vodka was found in his pocket.
Acting Supreme Court Justice Meryl Berkowitz, who now presides over the case, ordered his bail revoked and at the end of Wednesday’s hearing had court officers take him into custody.
"This is a tragedy of immeasurable proportions," LaMagna said afterward. "My client feels deeply remorseful for what has happened here. His thoughts are with the victim’s family."
Anthony DeVito, whose father was killed in the crash, said that Specht should not have been out on bail.
"He's finally going where he should have been all along. He's a danger to everyone."
CORRECTION: Willem Spetch's first name was misspelled in a headline in a previous version of this story.
'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
