Savannah man charged with multiple attacks, sentenced to 10 years in prison, 10 on probation

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A Savannah man charged with brutally attacking a tourist, SPD officers, GA Power workers, a blind woman, and a CAT bus driver-- has taken a plea deal and has been handed down his sentence.

40-year-old Brandon Collier is no stranger to jail or prison. As we’ve previously told you, Collier was arrested 43 times in total in Chatham County.

He’s the suspect in two cases we’ve been following closely.

In the first case on our radar- Collier was arrested after attacking a tourist back in November while the victim was out getting coffee.

Collier threatened him verbally while wielding a liquor bottle at the victim. He then started harassing and threatening nearby Georgia Power workers before getting into a fight with Savannah Police Officers.

He was arrested and let out on bond in that case.

Collier’s arrests also led to the firing of a Victim’s Advocate from the DA’s office after the advocate failed to notify the victim that Collier was released on bond. You can find that full report here.

Then just months later in June, Collier was on a CAT bus. He was acting disorderly when a woman on the bus asked him to stop.

He attacked this blind woman for saying something, then turned to the bus driver, who was trying to intervene. Both victims in this attack were taken to the hospital.

Our previous coverage of that day reveals a barrier in the front of the bus that separates the driver from the passengers, was on the ground and completely destroyed.

The report also details that the woman passenger was blind and that she had multiple injuries on her face, neck, and forehead.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson also heard of the attack and spoke with WTOC about the tragedy. You can find that coverage here.

This attack also led to ramping up bus safety features for CAT. You can read what CAT transportation leaders had to say here.

Which brings us to now, Collier entered a plea in both the CAT bus case and the November attack. He was sentenced to a total of 20 years, 10 in prison and 10 on probation. Because he is a repeat offender, he will not be eligible for parole.

The judge recommended that Collier be transferred to a transitional facility, only at the Department of Corrections’ discretion.

He is also required to undergo a substance abuse evaluation and treatment.

It’s unclear in which prison he’ll serve his sentence.