The district attorney’s office reports a Washington County man admitted to assaulting an ex-girlfriend outside her College Station apartment nearly four years ago.
35 year old Chester Coleman III of Washington was sentenced to eight years in prison for family violence assault with a prior conviction.
Prosecutors say the victim, who received hospital treatment for her injuries, was in the courtroom when Coleman entered a plea agreement.
He is also required to stay away from the victim for the rest of his life.
The D-A’s office reported that this will be Coleman’s second trip to prison, after serving three years for a domestic violence conviction in Washington County.
News release from the Brazos County district attorney’s office:
On February 21, 2023, Chester Coleman III of Washington, Texas pled guilty to Assault Family Violence with a Previous Conviction and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
In the early morning hours of February 24, 2019, College Station Police responded to an apartment complex for an attempted break-in. The victim reported that her ex-boyfriend, Chester Coleman III, attempted to kick down her door. Officers were unable to serve the defendant with a criminal trespass warning due to him fleeing the scene. However, the defendant was verbally warned by the police not to return to the apartment.
On March 26, 2019, the defendant returned to the apartment complex and assaulted the victim as she tried to enter her apartment. While the College Station Fire Department provided medical treatment to the victim, College Station Police attempted to locate the defendant, who had fled the scene. The victim was later treated at College Station Medical Center. The College Station Police Department obtained a warrant for the defendant’s arrest, and the defendant was arrested in Washington County on May 29, 2019.
After a jury was impaneled, the defendant requested to change his plea to guilty.
As part of the plea, the defendant agreed to a lifetime protective order, which prevents him from having any contact with the victim. The defendant’s plea of guilty also prevented the victim from being required to testify in court, though she was able to be present for the plea and hear the defendant accept responsibility for the assault.
The defendant had previously served 3 years in prison for a domestic violence case in Washington County.
Assistant district attorneys Ryan Golden and Kristin Burns issued the following statement: “Everyone deserves to feel safe in and around their own home. The defendant’s actions deprived the victim of that feeling of safety and security, but her bravery in reporting his actions made justice possible.”