A pair of Newton County brothers was sentenced to prison last week after one of them assaulted and fired a gun at a woman and the other entered a false confession on his behalf, prosecutors said Monday.
Jonathan Phillips, 26, of Covington, was sentenced to 10 years behind bars after a Newton jury convicted him in July of carrying out the September 2019 aggravated assault. He was also convicted of second-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm during a felony, battery and discharging a firearm near a street and ordered to serve out the rest of his 25-year sentence on probation, according to the Newton County District Attorney’s Office.
His brother, Jourdan Phillips, 23, who was convicted on two felony counts of making false statements, was sentenced to 10 years, with the first five to be served in prison. They were sentenced following the completion of an investigation into their backgrounds.
Prosecutors said Jonathan Phillips struck a woman in the face and dragged her to the driveway at a home on Greenfield Way, less than a mile from Clements Middle School.
The woman escaped to her car and was able to drive away, according to the DA’s office. As she drove, prosecutors said Jonathan Phillips fired multiple shots at her car. The bullets struck the vehicle and neighboring houses, but no one was injured.
About four months after the attack, Jourdan Phillips provided a sworn statement that falsely claimed he was the shooter in the incident. He was then interviewed by investigators and again asserted that claim, prosecutors said.
Both men are barred from being in Newton and Walton Counties following their release from prison.
— Staff writer Henri Hollis contributed to this article.
About the Author
