A Bristol man will serve 30 days in jail and two years of probation for a domestic violence assault and high-speed chase Aug. 3, 2014.
Joseph A. Benner, 34, must also pay $1,722.51 in restitution, which will reimburse the victim of the domestic violence assault for car repair and medical bills.
Benner pleaded guilty to class C eluding an officer and class D domestic violence assault in Lincoln County Superior Court Friday, Feb. 27.
The district attorney’s office dismissed charges of class B aggravated assault, class D criminal mischief, and a second count of class D domestic violence assault.
Justice Daniel Billings accepted the joint recommendation of the prosecution and the defense to sentence Benner to 18 months with all but 30 days suspended for eluding an officer and a concurrent 30-day sentence for the domestic violence assault.
If Benner violates probation, he could return to custody for up to the full 18-month sentence. His probation conditions prohibit contact with the victim and require restitution payments.
Class B and C charges are felonies punishable by up to 10 years and five years in prison, respectively. A class D charge is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail.
Benner and the victim had a “heated argument” the day of the incident, Wright said. “At one point, the argument turned violent, with Mr. Benner throwing (the victim) onto the floor and hitting her a couple of times.”
He eventually left and his car “bumped into” the victim’s car and caused the damage Benner will pay for through restitution, Wright said.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies Ryan Chubbuck and Jared Mitkus responded to a call from the victim.
Mitkus located the vehicle on Harrington Road in South Bristol at about 10:15 p.m. and signaled it to stop, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Rand Maker said at the time. Benner fled in his GMC Yukon sport utility vehicle.
Mitkus, in a Ford Police Interceptor SUV, pursued Benner along Harrington Road into Bristol and onto Bristol Road, Foster Road, and Elliott Hill Road, where he “discontinued the chase for safety reasons,” Maker said. Benner “was driving too recklessly at that point.”
The top speed during the approximately 6-mile pursuit along narrow country roads was 80 miles per hour, Maker said. Deputies located Benner soon thereafter and arrested him without incident.
The victim supports the resolution of the case, according to Wright.
Billings granted Benner a stay until 9 a.m. April 15 to accommodate his job plowing snow. He will remain free on personal recognizance bail in the meantime.
(Dominik Lobkowicz contributed to this article.)
