Man convicted of brutally beating jewelry store owner in Delaware sentenced to decades in prison

WILMINGTON, Delaware (WPVI) -- A man will spend decades behind bars after being convicted of brutally beating a jewelry store owner during a robbery in Wilmington, Delaware.

Calvin Ushery was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the crime, the Delaware Department of Justice announced Thursday.

Ushery, who is 40 years old, was declared a habitual offender.

The attack happened in September 2022 at Solid Gold Jewelers on W. 9th Street.

Prosecutors say Ushery pistol-whipped the shop owner three times, knocking him to the floor. He then climbed over the counter, stomped on the victim's head several times, and began smashing display cases with a hammer while filling his bags with jewelry.

When the victim started to stir, prosecutors say Ushery struck him in the head several more times - including blows with a hammer - before fleeing with stolen jewelry.

The victim spent a week in the hospital, including four days in Christiana Hospital's intensive care unit, before he was discharged.

Ushery's first trial ended in a hung jury back in Sept. 2023.