Marsh makes last-minute plea
A local man who allegedly terrorized and beat his girlfriend while holding her prisoner in his home last year, escaped a jury this week by entering a last-minute plea agreement.
The defendant, Royce R. Marsh, 32, entered guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of assault and false imprisonment. He will face sentence April 29, at which time he may face up to 11 months, 29 days in jail on each count.
Marsh was originally charged with the much more serious felonies of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault for the injuries sustained by Tina M. Crabtree last May. The injuries reportedly included a punctured lung,, bites, bruises and cuts.
Crabtree had claimed she was held against her will at Marsh’s residence for about 24 hours and was pulled back into the residence after she tried to escape. The incident ended when Marsh reportedly dropped Crabtree off at the doctor’s office.
The case came to an end Tuesday while the jury hearing the trial was on its lunch break. During the break, an agreement was reached, allowing Marsh to enter a plea to the lesser charges.
“The plea was in the best interest for all involved,” said District Attorney General Dale Potter.
Had the question gone to the jury, one problem may have been how the victim received some of her injuries. The defense was expected to claim some of the more serious injuries had been caused by a separate automobile accident – not by Marsh.