A 19-year-old Key West musician pleaded guilty Tuesday to beating a homeless street performer in the head with the man's guitar on Duval Street in August.

Christopher Lee Flowers, also known as "Little Boy" Flowers, was sentenced to two years on probation, 90 days of daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, psychological treatment and must repay the victim $2,000 in restitution for the guitar and medical expenses, Assistant State Attorney Val Winter said.

Flowers pleaded guilty to third-degree aggravated battery, a felony, as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. He could face a maximum of five years in prison if he violates the terms of his probation.

"This is a kid who has no record whatsoever, who got involved with alcohol in an event that he regrets, for which he has been incarcerated for six months and learned an important lesson," said Flowers' attorney, Michael Barnes. "He has been very visible in Key West since his youth as a piano prodigy and he would like to move on."

Flowers has been playing piano and keyboards in Key West since he was a child.

The victim, Woodrow "Woody" Wentworth, 33, who now lives in Austin, Texas, agreed to the terms of the plea agreement, citing a need for medical care restitution, the cost of which is still being determined, Winter said.

What was not discussed was why Flowers attacked Wentworth, Winter said.

"Motive was not brought up as a matter of mitigation by the defense and not brought up by us as an aggravating factor," Winter said. "What we believe we could have shown at trial was that Mr. Flowers was intoxicated when this all happened at 6 a.m."

Barnes said alcohol played a large role in the attack.

"This was a one-time alcohol event, which goes to show what that can do," Barnes said.

Flowers was released from the Monroe County jail on Stock Island Tuesday after spending about six months there awaiting trial on a $25,000 bond.

There were about a dozen people present to support Flowers when circuit Judge David Audlin accepted the terms of the plea agreement.

In a bizarre turn in the case, the state's primary witness, 48-year-old David Schermerhorn of Big Coppitt Key, died while the trial was pending, Winter said. His remains were found in September near the Western Sambo Reef. Nothing about Schermerhorn's death indicated foul play, according to Monroe County Sheriff's Office investigators.

Investigators did not know whether Schermerhorn died of natural causes or from being hit by a boat. His 22-foot center-console boat was found by a passerby on Boca Chica Beach with the motor down, a dive flag up and about 100 feet of anchor line still out, reports say. Whether he was diving at the time he died also was unclear.

Though the state lost its key witness when Schermerhorn died, Wentworth was pleased with the plea agreement, citing his need to be reimbursed for medical bills, Winter said.

Flowers and Wentworth had been drinking together for hours when Flowers grabbed the guitar Wentworth was playing in the 900 block of Duval Street about 6 a.m. Aug. 2 and smashed it on his head seven times, destroying the instrument, according to police reports.

Wentworth was treated at Lower Keys Medical Center for cuts to his head, hands and arms, reports say. He moved to Texas after his release from the hospital, Winter said.

alinhardt@keysnews.com