Missouri man brutally battered and sodomized woman over two days, took breaks mid-assault to have beer
AURORA, MISSOURI: A 50-year-old man from Missouri was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment on Monday, May 11, after he battered a woman and sexually assaulted her. A court heard that the domestic abuser exclaimed "break time" while hitting the woman and then stopped to drink a beer before sexually assaulting her.
Richard Craig was jailed on Monday over the assault which occurred over a two-day period in February 2019, according to a probable-cause affidavit obtained by the local newspaper Joplin Globe. The document stated that Craig, of Aurora, Missouri, attacked the woman — who has not been identified — when she refused to drive to the store to buy him some beer and vodka.
After her refusal, Craig began to hit the woman, pulled her down onto the bedroom floor, and attempted to strangle her with his legs. The 50-year-old then punched the woman while holding her by the hair. After brutally attacking her for some time, he declared that it was "break time" from the assault. He dragged the woman by her hair to the kitchen and drank a can of beer, the outlet reported.
After he finished drinking, he declared that the break was over and then dragged her back into the room where he continued to beat her until he fell asleep. The woman was reportedly too scared to leave Craig's home at the time, fearing he would retaliate if he woke up while she was attempting to flee, according to the affidavit. When he woke up the next day, the 50-year-old sodomized the woman the next day. The victim, however, managed to flee to a neighbor's house later that day and alerted the authorities of the abuse after Craig fell asleep for the second time.
The woman was taken to the hospital where it was revealed that she suffered a broken nose and cheekbone because of the assault. Craig was promptly arrested, was charged with first-degree sodomy and first-degree kidnapping in 2019.
However, he pleaded guilty on Monday in Lawrence County Circuit Court to a reduced count of second-degree domestic assault in a plea agreement. The plea resulted in a dismissal of related counts of first-degree sodomy and first-degree kidnapping.
Instances of domestic abuse have increased recently, particularly in light of the widespread movement restrictions placed in countries across the world amid the coronavirus pandemic. Experts and lawmakers have taken to public platforms to address the concern.
In the UK, Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall on March 27 addressed victims of domestic violence impacted by the lockdown in the country. She said: "This is a hard time for everyone, as we are all asked to stay at home to stay safe. But for some of you, it is even harder because home is not a safe place. I can only imagine that being asked to stay there could feel very isolating and frightening for you and your family. It may mean spending more time with the person who is harming you."
"If this is your situation, or you are worried about someone else, I want you to know that you are not alone," she added.