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Queens Man Sentenced To 11 Years For Attacking L.I. Nurse With Broken Chair Leg

MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Queens man who admitted he assaulted a nurse with a chair leg at a hospital in Nassau County has been sentenced to 11 years behind bars.

1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reports 

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Donte Oakes was sentenced in Mineola on Monday. He pleaded guilty last month to first-degree assault for attacking 54-year-old Marie Sweeney.

Oakes was a patient at Franklin General Hospital in Valley Stream back in September of 2010 when officials said he broke a wooden chair into pieces and used one of its legs to beat Sweeney, who was working as a nurse at the hospital.

At Oakes' sentencing, Sweeney spoke out about the incident for the first time.

"I was facing a group of clients and he came in through the side and I thought he was coming in to be a part of my group and little did I know that he had a weapon hidden in his clothing," Sweeney told 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera. "I was alone. I was completely alone and had to defend myself."

Sweeney said she was beaten so badly, she is now blind in one eye and can no longer work.

Oakes' attorney said his client has mental problems.

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