WCH man sentenced to 6 years in prison in Highland County felonious assault case
A Washington Court House man indicted last month has been sentenced to at least six years in prison after pleading guilty in Highland County Common Pleas Court to felonious assault and abduction charges.
On Jan. 2, a grand jury indicted Durant E. Peters, 46, on one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony; one count of abduction, a third-degree felony; and one count of domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor.
The charges stemmed from an alleged incident on Dec. 6, where Peters was accused of “knowingly causing serious physical harm” to a victim. It is alleged that Peters “knowingly by force or threat, restrained the liberty” of the victim, which “created a risk of physical harm” or “placed [the victim] in fear.”
According to Highland County Assistant Prosecutor Adam King, Peters allegedly “struck the victim in the face multiple times” during an altercation, causing “multiple facial fractures.” Peters then allegedly took the victim’s phone and keys away and told the victim “not to ask for help,” King said during the plea hearing.
Peters, who was represented by local attorney Kathryn Hapner, pleaded guilty to the two felony charges Feb. 7, with the misdemeanor charge dismissed.
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss followed the recommended sentence in the plea agreement and imposed a four-year sentence on the felonious assault charge, consecutive to a two-year sentence on the abduction charge. Under the Reagan Tokes Law, that sentence could be up to eight years. Peters had 63 days of jail time credit.
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