Forty-six-year-old James Randolph Dean appeared before Magistrate Carol Misiewicz to answer charges of causing grievous harm to his wife and causing harm to his daughter on the night of Friday, April 9.
On the night of the attack, Dean’s fourteen-year-old stepdaughter told police that she had a friend over and they, with her nine-year-old sister, had attended the circus. When they arrived home, they bathed, picked out their church clothes and prepared for bed.
The court was told that the young girl recalled being awakened from her sleep by a loud “body hit”. She then heard her mother say, “James, what’s wrong with you?”
She heard more “body hits” but no arguing, and then went to her mother’s room to see what was going on. She pushed open the door and saw her step-father punching and kicking her mother in the face.
She ran to him in an attempt to defend her mother, begging him to stop beating her.
According to the mother’s report, it was at this time that Dean slammed her oldest daughter’s head into the wall. Her mother used the opportunity to escape and headed towards the kitchen . There, the two females told police Dean got a knife and began attacking his new wife again. The three youngsters hugged each other in fear of Dean as he started stabbing the mother.
The court was told that the mother and daughter were bloodied and going into shock before the mother was able to make it to her her brither’s house and then to a nearby police station. The officers called an ambulance for them. By this time the daughter’s head was swollen.
In his statement, Dean told police he was upset over strange numbers in his Caller ID, which his wife could not explain. He also claimed that she threw an iron at him before he attacked her.
The victim told police she had known Dean six months before marrying him.
He pleaded guilty to two counts and was granted $5,000 bail with surety. He was also put on probation. He will return to court on September 14 to be sentenced.
Source: The Tribune
