The sentencing of Kristopher Prudhomme, who was convicted in December of an assault that left his Norwich housemate with no legs, did not go forward as scheduled Tuesday after Prudhomme's attorney notified the court that his client is suicidal. 

Judge Barbara Bailey Jongbloed ordered a psychiatric evaluation of Prudhomme to be performed by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. She said the results of the exam would be discussed at a March 26 court hearing and the sentencing may be rescheduled at that time.

The judge also ordered that Prudhomme be placed on suicide watch at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Institution. 

Prudhomme, 30, has been held in lieu of $350,000 since a jury found him guilty of first-degree assault, cruelty to persons and tampering with evidence. He faces up to 30 years in prison, though the maximum sentence is unlikely.

Prudhomme's family members had traveled from Louisiana and Texas for the sentencing hearing and were sitting behind him in the courtroom as he swiveled his chair from side to side and listened to the attorneys and judge discussing his mental health.

The idea of any prison sentence has caused Prudhomme to become suicidal, according to his attorney. Prudhomme has autism, anxiety disorder and depression, but is high functioning and was working as a draftsman at Electric Boat leading up to his trial, according to testimony.  

Attorney Damon Kirschbaum said he was in contact with Prudhomme the entire time he's been incarcerated and was under the impression he was doing fine. Kirschbaum said when he visited Prudhomme at Corrigan on Feb. 16, Prudhomme told him he expected he would kill himself if he was sentenced to prison. Kirschbaum said he found it credible.

Prosecutor Stephen M. Carney echoed the defense request that Prudhomme be placed on a suicide watch, saying it is a genuine concern, but added that the Department of Correction is well equipped to handle suicidal inmates.

"I think the vast majority of individuals in the prison system have mental health issues," Carney said.

Testimony at the trial revealed that Prudhomme, living in an apartment on Main Street in Norwich, had invited Michael Lovering to stay with him while Lovering got his life together. The two men were both involved in the Goth scene and had met while serving as DJs and music promoters in New Orleans clubs.

On Oct. 22, 2016, after coming home from a concert in New Haven, Lovering, who was drinking, admitted to Prudhomme that he had slept with Prudhomme's girlfriend, Lauren Muskus, while Prudhomme was at work, according to testimony.

Lovering said he was sitting on his bedroom floor, his legs tucked under him, when he felt pressure on his neck and passed out. Prudhomme did not check on Lovering or call 911 for about 14 hours, according to testimony. During that time, Lovering, who still had his legs tucked beneath him when the first police officer arrived, had lost circulation to his legs. A surgeon had to amputate both limbs the next day.

The state asserted that Prudhomme used a string from one of Lovering's leather corsets to strangle Lovering, who had red marks on his neck when first responders arrived. According to testimony, Prudhomme gave the corset to Muskus, who took it to her apartment in Monroe. She is charged with tampering with evidence and has a case pending in the same court.

k.florin@theday.com