A Middle Georgia man who brutally beat his wife after strapping her to a chair in their living room was sentenced Friday to a decade in prison.
John Franklin Underwood, 42, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, aggravated stalking, false imprisonment and hindering a 911 call in connection with the October 2018 incident, the Macon Judicial Circuit said in a news release.
Prosecutors said the Crawford County man attacked his wife during an argument after she told him she wanted a divorce.
Underwood hit the woman with a closed fist before strapping her to a chair and beating her until she was unconscious. When she came to, she discovered her ankle had been chained to another piece of furniture.
The woman tried to dial 911 several times, but Underwood prevented her from completing the calls, prosecutors said.
At some point, Underwood loaded his wife into a car against her will and drove her away from their home. She was able to jump out of the moving vehicle in Warner Robins before calling a relative to come pick her up, authorities said.
While he was out on bond last fall, Underwood was spotted peering into the woman’s windows and knocking on her door, despite a court order that prevented him from making contact with her.
“No person should ever be a captive to an abusive relationship,” District Attorney David Cooke said. “I’m thankful Mr. Underwood’s wife escaped with her life.”
Underwood was given a 20-year sentence, with the first decade to serve in prison and the second on probation.
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