RALEIGH -- The North Carolina State Fair ride operator who pleaded guilty to bypassing a ride's safety system which ended up injuring five people in 2013, was sentenced Monday.

Timothy Tutterrow, of Georgia, pleaded guilty to assault with deadly weapon charges last year in connection with the incident that left a Durham family injured as they were getting off the Vortex ride.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Graham Shirley sentenced Tutterow, on Monday, to between 18 and 34 months in jail ... the sentence was deferred in lieu of probation, and Tutterow was given credit for time already served (22 days).

Prosecutor Howard Cummings pushed for a stricter sentence.  Tutterow's lawyer, Roger Smith, Junior, said his client showed full cooperation.

The Gorham family was injured as they were getting off the Vortex ride and it started back up. Anthony Gorham suffered brain and spinal cord injuries and was left blind in one eye. His son was also seriously injured. A civil lawsuit in the case was settled out of court