Man who used heated belt buckle to brand his girlfriend 'like cattle' sentenced to 70 years in prison
A Springtown man who used a heated belt buckle to brand his girlfriend in December 2018 was sentenced to 70 years in prison on August 14.
David Shawn Minze, 14, used a lighter during the assault to heat up his western-style belt buckle which bore a large letter "S." He subsequently proceeded to brand her on the upper buttocks, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
Parker County Assistant District Attorney Abby Placke said "the branding was his way to show her that he was the dominant person in this relationship and express ownership of her, like you would with cattle."
The other prosecutor in the case was Parker County Assistant District Attorney Susan Pruett. On August 14, a Parker County jury deliberated for just over two hours before convicting Minze on a charge of felony assault. They subsequently held a discussion for another 45 minutes before electing to sentence him to 70 years in prison.
According to the Parker County District Attorney’s Office, Minze had six prior felony convictions - including an assault conviction involving the same victim - and so was tried as a habitual offender.
Springtown police arrested Minze in January on a warrant for the December 23 assault on his girlfriend. That said, he also had a second warrant for violating the terms of his parole.
The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, testified during the trial that Minze first choked her during the assault and later used scissors to cut up her clothing into several pieces.
She claimed in court that her relationship with Minze was on and off with frequent breakups due to his physical abuse and use of methamphetamine. The woman testified that at the time of the December assault, they were no longer together.
Minze, who will be eligible for parole only after serving 15 years, intends to appeal his conviction and sentence, his attorneys told District Judge Craig Towson.
"The jurors, in this case, did a great job in telling the abusers that live among us that Parker County citizens take these cases seriously," said assistant district attorney Jeff Swain.