A Spartanburg man will spend a decade in prison after a domestic attack that prosecutors say included a cigarette burn, a head-butt, a slam to the kitchen floor and strangulation. Austin Lewis Hazard pleaded guilty Wednesday to domestic violence in the first degree and was sentenced to 10 years behind bars.
The Seventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office said, in details reported by FOX Carolina, that Hazard had been drinking and became annoyed by the noise made by his children before yelling at the victim. Prosecutors said he burned the victim’s neck with a cigarette, head-butted her in the face, slammed her onto the kitchen floor and placed his hands around her neck.
South Carolina Law Allows Up To 10 Years
South Carolina’s first-degree domestic violence law covers conduct that causes or is likely to cause great bodily injury to a household member. The statute classifies the offense as a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, making Hazard’s sentence the maximum term listed under state law.
The victim eventually fought her way into another room and called family members for help, according to the solicitor’s account. Hazard also had two prior convictions for domestic abuse in the third degree, while the victim described repeated abuse during the six years the couple was married, FOX Carolina reported.
Spartanburg Survivors Can Reach Local Support
Project R.E.S.T. provides domestic violence survivors in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties with advocacy, legal assistance, safety planning and emergency shelter services. The organization lists a 24-hour hotline at (864) 583-9803 or (800) 273-5066 through its local survivor-services program.
