A Villa Rica man was sentenced to 13 years in prison Monday following multiple alleged assaults of his live-in girlfriend, including one in which he was accused of wielding a hatchet at her.

Joseph McCoy Burr III, 41, was originally charged with 14 counts, including charges of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and battery. The man was sentenced by Judge Bill Hamrick to 13 years in prison, to be followed by 17 years of probation, in Carroll County Superior Court on Monday.

Burr was arrested in March 2012 following an allegation that he had assaulted a woman who lived with him on Bonnie Sue Drive, breaking five ribs. The two alleged incidents occurred in February and March of that year.

Burr apologized in open court Monday, though the female victim was not present.

“I was wrong, and I’m very sorry,” he said, crying. “I never meant for that to happen, and I want to thank the judge for not giving me a bond when I was before him a few months ago. Sitting in that jail cell for 21 hours a day has helped me.”

In the February incident, Burr allegedly wielded a hatchet at the victim, striking her on the hand and ankle when she tried to deflect the weapon. The defendant then hit the woman with a drinking glass and used the cord of a heating pad to choke her, police said.

Also in that February incident, Burr allegedly poured hot candle wax on the female while she was in the bathtub, cleaning her wounds. Daytona Beach Area Meetings.

In the March incident noted in the indictment, shortly after which Burr was arrested, the defendant allegedly hit the woman with a belt buckle and then plunged her head underwater while she was in the bath, holding it there until she was able to pull the drain stopper to let the tub’s water out so she could breathe. Sunrise Park AA Meetings. Continue reading →