Two brothers were found guilty of separate crimes by the same Newton County jury Thursday after one of the men assaulted a woman and his brother entered a false confession on his behalf, prosecutors said.
Jonathan Phillips, 26, of Covington, was convicted on charges of aggravated assault, second-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm during a felony, battery and discharging a firearm near a street, the Newton District Attorney’s Office announced. His brother, 23-year-old Jourdan Phillips, was convicted on two felony counts of making false statements.
According to the DA’s office, the case was opened after an assault involving Jonathan Phillips and a woman, who was not identified, in September 2019. At a home on Greenfield Way less than a mile from Clements Middle School, Jonathan hit the woman in the face, then dragged her into the driveway. The woman escaped to her car and was able to drive away, the DA’s office said.
As the woman drove away, Jonathan Phillips fired multiple gunshots at her car, the DA’s office said. His shots hit the car and other homes on the street, but no one was injured.
About four months later, Jourdan Phillips provided a sworn statement that he was the shooter in the incident. He was then interviewed by detectives and again claimed to be the shooter, prosecutors said.
The court has ordered a pre-sentence investigation, according to the DA’s office, and both Phillips brothers remain in custody in the Newtown County Jail. A pre-sentence investigation is typically conducted by a probation officer to gather evidence about an offender’s family history, health, community and other background factors to help formulate a proper sentence.
The Phillips brothers will be sentenced at a hearing to be scheduled later, the DA’s office said.
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