Paul Ferguson RETCHES as judge  imprisons him for up to 100 years for torturing and starving autistic brother Timothy to death

An ‘evil’ older brother who pleaded guilty to tormenting and starving his autistic younger brother gagged as he was sentenced to up to 100 years in prison.

Paul Ferguson, 21, was described Monday as “one step away from becoming a psychopath” by Judge Matthew Kacel, who sentenced him to a minimum of 30 years and a maximum of 100 years behind bars.

Kacel defied sentencing guidelines that suggested Ferguson would face nine to 15 years behind bars, with the child molester being filmed gagging in shock as he was warned he could be in prison until the year 2124. His mother vomited in court during her own trial.

Ferguson was also seen shriveling into the collar of his prison shirt and then poking his head out during the fiery condemnation remarks.

He was convicted of first-degree child abuse in connection with the horrific death of his younger brother Timothy, 15, who died in July 2022 after a barrage of sadistic abuse by Paul and his mother.

The autistic child weighed just 30 pounds when he died in their Michigan home, and was subjected to merciless punishment, including being force-fed hot sauce, deprived of sleep and being confined to food.

Paul and his mother were both sentenced to life in prison for the death of his autistic younger brother Timothy (left), who was subjected to cruel punishments including ice baths, starvation and being force-fed hot sauce

Timothy Ferguson, 15, who had autism with speech and motor impairments, died of malnutrition and hypothermia. He is depicted in an undated photo

The brothers’ mother, Shanda Vander Ark, 44, (pictured) was sentenced in January to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury convicted her of murder and child abuse in the teen’s death.

The brothers’ mother, Shanda Vander Ark, 44, was sentenced in January to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury convicted her of murder and child abuse in her son’s death.

She vomited in court as she was shown horrific images of her son losing weight as he starved to death.

She began gagging and vomiting in full view of the jury, and showed signs of a nervous breakdown when a prosecutor questioned her: “Did he look like this when you put him in the bathtub?”

Timothy was speech and motor impaired as well as autistic, with Paul and his mother tormenting him with insensitive punishments, including being subjected to long ice baths.

During Shanda’s trial, it was revealed that she also forced her son to eat only bread covered in hot sauce, and that she locked the refrigerator to prevent him from eating.

Vander Ark also allegedly covered the house and the small closet where Timothy slept with motion sensors, alarms and live feed cameras.

Vander Ark, a law clerk in Newaygo County Circuit Court, previously testified that she purchased spicy hot sauce online after Paul thought it would be a good idea to punish Timothy.

A text message exchange between the pair also revealed that she questioned whether they should drop the hot sauce on the young boy’s genitals.

“I wonder what it would feel like to have that hot sauce on your genitals.” “I’m not saying you should touch it there, not at all, but a little drip there, that’s terrible,” she asked.

The brothers’ mother, Shanda Vander Ark, 44, vomited in court after she was shown gruesome photos of her emaciated disabled son she starved to death in January

Timothy’s older brother Paul, 21, is pictured testifying against his mother at her earlier trial

Vander Ark allegedly covered the house and the small closet where Timothy slept with motion sensors, alarms and live feed cameras

Vander Ark tortured him by feeding him only bread covered in hot sauce, deprived him of sleep, and forced him into ice baths as punishment.

The refrigerator in the house where Timothy died was chained as he starved to death

Hours before Timothy died, Paul is said to have placed him in an ice bath for almost nine hours.

However, he testified against his own mother at her trial, claiming he was also a victim and suffered from “something akin to Stockholm syndrome.”

“I long to find a role model who, because of my own low self-esteem, would do anything to make them proud of me,” he said.

“That’s not an excuse, I know, but I’m glad I was able to at least realize it so I could correct it.”

The testimony and guilty plea came in exchange for prosecutors agreeing not to seek higher charges, such as murder, for the 21-year-old, said Chief Muskegon County Attorney Matt Roberts.

At his own trial this week, Paul appeared dejected as he insisted he regretted his actions and pleaded for “mercy and fairness” from the judge.

In his statement at the trial, Paul said: ‘What reasons can justify my actions? I could make up a thousand of them and never believe a single one.”

‘What words can express my regret? I could think of millions, but I never feel like it’s enough.’

The building where Timothy was starved and tortured

His words fell on deaf ears when the judge said he did not believe Paul was truly repentant.

“The court finds that Mr. Ferguson is one step away from becoming a psychopath like his mother,” Muskegon County Circuit Judge Matthew Kacel said Monday, the court reported. Grand Rapids Press.

Muskegon County Chief Prosecutor Matt Roberts added that Paul poses a threat to the public if he does not receive mental health care while in custody.