CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man facing a felony strangulation charge pleaded guilty to lesser charges Wednesday in Clearfield County Court.
John Lewis Irwin, 33, pleaded guilty before President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman to a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.
He was sentenced to 170 days (time served) to one year less one day in jail and one day consecutive probation. He was fined $200 plus costs.
His probation on a previous charge was also revoked and he was given the same sentence which will run concurrent to the first sentence.
The charges stem from an incident on March 13 in Clearfield Borough.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, police were called to the hospital at 4:48 p.m. to speak with a patient that had been assaulted at an apartment on Reed Street. The victim had several bruises and scratches around her throat from Irwin choking her.
When police tried to locate Irwin at that residence, they were told that Irwin and the victim had stayed the night there, but Irwin never put his hands on her.
Another witness told officers that he woke up when he heard Irwin and the victim arguing. He said it wasn’t physical, but only verbal. He went outside to tell them to argue inside the apartment so they would not disturb the neighbors.
Photos taken at the hospital show the victim had marks to her throat, arms and abdomen, in addition to a bruise on her chin.
In her interview with police, she said the argument took place outside the apartment at 9 a.m. when Irwin grabbed her with his left hand and choked her. He then pushed her. She said they started to go inside, but Irwin grabbed her again by the throat using his right hand.
In the hallway, outside the apartment, Irwin grabbed her again by the throat with his right hand and picked her up off the ground, she said. She blacked out for a few minutes.
He then punched and kicked her in the stomach, she told police. After the second witness came out and asked them to take the argument inside the apartment, she was able to contact her mother who picked her up and transported her to the Punxsutawney Hospital.
In 2009 Irwin was convicted of simple assault and unlawful restraint for holding that victim down and choking her several times during the incident, according to the report.
