A man will spend 20 years behind bars after he choked the mother of his child last year, authorities said.
Derek James Burns, 29, of Carrollton, was convicted of choking the woman and threatening to shoot her, Cobb County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Kim Isaza said in a news release.
According to Isaza, Burns and the woman were arguing on April 19, 2018, when the man put her in a chokehold until she lost consciousness. He then dragged her to the corner of a room in her Bradford Lane home in Marietta, Isaza said.
Burns threatened to shoot her and “make it look like a suicide” if she lifted her head before he left, according to Isaza.
The jury convicted Burns of aggravated assault- strangulation, false imprisonment, simple battery and simple assault after deliberating just over an hour.
Burns’ ex-girlfriend testified that he attacked her in a similar way when they were dating, according to Isaza.
Superior Court Senior Judge Adele Grubbs called Burns “vicious and harmful,” according to Isaza.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and two years on probation. He will receive credit for the time he has already served in custody, Isaza said.
In other news:
About the Author
