A 32-year-old man has pleaded guilty in an assault that left a well-known Oak Harbor youth football coach with a serious brain injury.

Trevor J. Fleming, of Langley, pleaded guilty in Island County Superior Court last week to assault in the third degree.

As part of a plea bargain, both the prosecution and defense will recommend a three-month sentence at a Dec. 9 meeting.

Fleming will agree to pay restitution to the victim, Tyson Boon, in an amount to be determined at a later hearing.

In addition, Fleming will receive a drug-and-alcohol evaluation and comply with any recommendations from a counselor.

BreAnna Boon, Tyson’s wife, said the family wanted Fleming to be convicted of second-degree assault, as he was originally charged, but decided they wanted to get the case over with and focus on Tyson Boon’s recovery.

BreAnna Boon said they hoped to make sure Fleming spends the holidays in jail so he gains a better understanding of how his actions hurt their family.

“Tyson was having brain surgery 10 days before last Thanksgiving,” she said.

Tyson Boon said he got out of the hospital after the assault only to suffer from a brain bleed. He was airlifted back to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for emergency surgery.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Eric Ohme said the plea agreement avoids the risk of going to trial and having an acquittal.

He pointed out that Boon doesn’t remember the assault and that witnesses had different versions of events.

Plus, Fleming was claiming self defense, which means Ohme had the difficult task of proving otherwise.

The police report in the case states that Fleming bumped into Boon outside Mi Pueblo restaurant Sept. 9, 2012, and then punched him. Boon fell to the ground and was knocked unconscious.

The assault broke the back of Boon’s skull and caused bleeding in his brain. He was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center and remained in intensive care for five days.

BreAnna Boon said her husband had trouble speaking, performing simple tasks and walking after the assault.

He was eventually able to get back to work and returned to coaching youth football after intensive physical therapy.

Tyson Boon said he still has memory problems and no longer has a sense of smell; he thinks the problems are probably permanent.

“Our house is covered with Post-It notes and calendars to remind him of things,” BreAnna Boon said.