La Plata, MD – Daron Lee Wright, 27 of Temple Hills, was sentenced to 10 years in prison with all but 18 months suspended, to be served locally for a home invasion and first-degree assault that occurred in Waldorf April 8, 2016.
A Charles County Circuit Court jury sitting before Judge Amy J. Bragunier found Wright guilty of second-degree assault back in February.
Wright’s ex-wife, whose head Charles County Assistant States Attorney John A. Stackhouse said the defendant slammed into the wall with such force that “it left hair in the indentation in the wall,” wrote a letter asking the judge to sentence Wright to five years in the Maryland Department of Corrections.
“It was not the first time this had happened,” Stackhouse added. “The first incident happened in Prince George’s County. It was a reoccurring problem for her.”
The woman in her letter, asked Stackhouse to, “Please tell the judge I want him to be held accountable for his actions. If he’s not held accountable his actions will only get worse.’ ”
The woman told the judge through her letter, that it was she who had asked for visitation rights for Wright, “ ‘So he could see his kids. He doesn’t want visitation.’ Those are her thoughts,” Stackhouse read.
The prosecutor reminded the judge that the defendant went to his ex-wife’s apartment and kicked the door in and “violently assaulted her.”
Guidelines, Stackhouse noted, called for probation to 18 months, which he said would be at the minimum, the appropriate sentence.
Charles County Assistant Public Defender Elizabeth Connell told Bragunier that he client was remorseful.
“We agree, we see eye to eye; he knows he should never have gone there,” Connell said. “He has not had any contact with his wife since this occurred. He did not want to violate the protective order. He wants to see his children. He understands part of the sentence involves punishment. He is taking steps to insure this does not happen again.”
Wright told Bragunier he had worked so hard, “But I disappointed my family, I disappointed a lot of people.”
“I think you recognize that there is no excuse for this to happen,” the judge said. “Nobody deserves to be treated like that.”
Bragunier then sentenced Wright to 10 years for second-degree assault, then told him she was suspending all but 18 months, to be served locally at the Charles County Detention Center. She tacked on another 18 months concurrent to the first sentence for third-degree burglary and another 60 days concurrent on a malicious destruction of property.
She authorized work release, treatment release and therapy release plus gave him credit for three days served. Wright will have five years of supervised probation upon his release.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com