Judge Sentences Man to Nearly 1 Year in Prison

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A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a defendant to nearly one year in prison and 18 months of probation.

Townsend Sowell, 42, pleaded guilty to attempted threats to do bodily harm, attempted stalking, and simple assault. On Jan. 7, he physically and verbally abused his former partner for blocking him on social media. He broke her nose and attempted to call her one hundred times in the middle of the night.

Because he got credit for time served, Sowell has around five-and-a-half months left of his sentence.

The same woman charged him in three previous cases that were ultimately dropped by the prosecution.

The victim said she believes Sowell loves her and their six-year-old daughter, but has “inner demons” he must face. “Moments of mental, physical, and verbal abuse would overshadow the good moments, because they were so bad,” she said.

She said his actions have led her into a depression and emphasized how difficult it has been to “relive the nightmare again.”

Even in jail, Townsend still calls her. However, she said she has felt a sense of security since he has been incarcerated.

“He needs to be placed on a path to healing,” defense attorney Everald Thomas said. “Do we want to wait another six months, or get him on the path right now?”

“Punishment is as important here as rehabilitation,” Judge Julie Becker said. “If anything [punishment] will drive home the seriousness of what he did.”

While Sowell made statements of remorse, Judge Becker found them inconsistent with his previous statements. She said that throughout the trial, he denied, minimized and attempted to justify what happened.

Judge Becker said she was “extremely disturbed” by the case and “seriously considered” giving Sowell straight time with the maximum sentence. However, she said she didn’t want to give up on Sowell and was “not willing to say that people can’t change.”

As part of his probation, Sowell must go through a domestic violence intervention program. He has already been through this program, but the judge said she believes it will be more effective in conjunction with the other treatment.

Sowell will also undergo evaluations and treatment for both his mental health and substance abuse. He is ordered to stay away from the victim and pay $150 to the Victims of Violent Crimes Act fund.