Bathtub battering

GALLTIN CO.— A Shawneetown man who has been lightly slapped on the hand for violence in the past has now worked his way up to a trio of felonies which are now being taken seriously given Dough Dyhrkopp has taken over the helm as state’s attorney.

Convicted of Disorderly Conduct February 7, 2011 David A. Hazel, 27, of 951 Market St., Shawneetown, was ordered to pay $298 in fines and fees.

That sentence is about par for the course and well within the norm of first time offenders of a specific crime.

However, what caused that trend to continue is unclear. 

Hazel was convicted again February 10, 2014 of Disorderly Conduct and sentenced to court supervision for three months and ordered to pay $627 in fines and fees.

And then a little less than five months later, July 24, 2014, Hazel was convicted yet again of Disorderly Conduct and sentenced, again, to court supervision for three months and ordered to pay $427 in fines and fees.

Hazel has now been charged with three violent felonies.

According to information filed in the case on February 22 he kicked in the door and entered the dwelling place of Ricky D. Oldham., Jr., located at 264 Easy Posey Ave., Shawneetown, at a time when he knew Oldham was home.

The charge claims that Hazel was armed with a wrench and that once inside the residence he intentionally caused injury to Oldham when he struck him about the body and head with the wrench.

He is also said to have strangled family member Misty A. Hazel.

Mr. Hazel was taken into custody and formally charged with a single count of Home Invasion, Aggravated Battery Use of a deadly Weapon and Aggravated Domestic Battery Strangulation.

Cash bond in the case was set at $7,500.

Bathtub battering

A Ridgway convicted felon has ben charged with violence.

Peter Scott McNeil, 54, of Ridgway, has been charged with Domestic Battery after the formal charge alleges on February 19 he knowingly caused bodily harm to Alicia Patton McNeil when he shoved and pushed her down against a bathtub.

McNeil was convicted of felony Domestic Battery May 23, 1996 and sentenced to probation for 18 months and ordered to pay $1,171 in fines and fees.

Cash bond in the case was set at $750.

Conditions of that bond include that Mr. McNeil have no contact with Alicia McNeil.

Driving revoked

Carl W. Boyce, 33, of 11936 Welborn Ln., Pittsburg, has been charged with Driving Revoked when on September 15, 2016, he was caught operating a 2013 Isuzu at a time when he had already been convicted of the offense on at least two prior occasions. 

Bond information was not available in the case.

Fights with officers

A Shawneetown man appears to have made an already bad situation worse.

Court documents show that on February 23, Jordan Rray Dutton, 21, of 156 East Posey Ave., Shawneetown, was apprehended driving a 2004 red Chevrolet passenger car at a time when he knew his license to be suspended or revoked.

Reports say Dutton came to the attention of authorities when he was caught spinning the vehicle’s tires against a parked car.

When he was stopped, police say he was said to have had glassy eyes smelled of alcohol, and performed poorly on a field sobriety test.

He also refused to take a portable breathalyzer, which earned him an automatic suspension of his license for 12 months.

He reportedly made things worse when he struggled with police chief Bob Boon, patrolman Daniel Phelps and Gallatin County Sheriff Shannon Bradley by fighting, kicking and pulling away from the officers.

Those alleged antics earned Mr. Dutton charged of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Resisting a Peace Officer.

Dutton was arrested on or about June 30, 2014 and charged with two counts of Theft and one count each of Residential Burglary, Criminal Damage to Property $300-$10,000 and Knowingly Damaging School Property.

He was convicted August 7, 2014 on the property damage charge and sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections for three years and ordered to pay $2,088.54 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $1,888.54.

Cash bond in the case was set at $1,000.