The case of a Williamsburg man, who was accused of strangling a juvenile during a Jan. 1 incident, has been resolved with a plea to a lesser charge.
Williamsburg Police Sgt. Chad Foley initially arrested Alan A. Helvey, 41, of Elm Street, on charges of first-degree strangulation (domestic violence related), possession of marijuana, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (hydrocodone) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Foley responded to Helvey’s residence on Jan. 1 in reference to a report about a juvenile, who had supposedly taken a whole bottle of medication and about a male relative of the juvenile allegedly hitting the victim, according to Helvey’s arrest citation.
When Foley arrived at the residence, he contacted the juvenile victim and another juvenile. The juvenile victim reported that she had only taken three nerve pills (100 mg of Prozac per pill), and the juvenile victim was bleeding from the arm, which the juvenile victim said was self-inflicted.
The two juveniles gave police a statement that Helvey was coming down the hallway when he heard about the one juvenile supposedly taking a bottle of pills and allegedly put his hand around the victim’s throat and pinned the victim against the hallway wall, according to the citation.
During an appearance in Whitley District Court Monday, Helvey pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana. The felony strangulation charge was amended down to a misdemeanor fourth-degree assault charge, according to court documents.
Judge Fred White sentenced Helvey to a probated 12-month jail sentence. This means that if Helvey stays out of trouble for two years, he won’t have to serve any additional time behind bars. White also ordered Helvey to have no violent contact with the minor victim and to pay court costs, according to court documents.
The remaining charges of drug paraphernalia and first-degree possession of a controlled substance were dismissed after a motion by the county attorney, according to court documents.
