Hearing set for Spencer man

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Editor

A Spencer man will either plead guilty to charges or his case will be set for jury trial on April 20.

Charles Collins, 41, will have a second pretrial conference on that date. He is charged with Class D felonies strangulation and criminal confinement in connection with a Jan. 17 incident in which he allegedly attacked and held a woman against her will, court documents said.

Collins was arrested in February, and his bond was originally set at $15,000 with 10 percent authorized. Collins and his court-appointed attorney Melinda Jackman-Hanlin requested a bond reduction on Feb. 18, and on Feb. 23 Putnam County Circuit Court Judge Matt Headley denied that request and increased Collins' bond to $15,000 cash only.

He remains in the Putnam County Jail.

The alleged victim identified Collins as her attacker, court documents said. The alleged victim told police Collins had held her hostage and beaten her in her apartment throughout the night before she reported the crime.

According to court documents, a witness saw Collins and the alleged victim outside the Marathon station just before the police were called. The witness said she saw an altercation between the alleged victim and Collins, and that the alleged victim "was obviously in distress, crying and appeared to have been beaten and was screaming for help and for someone to call the police."

The witness said Collins was grabbing the alleged victim while she struggled and screamed for help.

When Collins realized the witness was calling 911, he got into a vehicle and took off, court records said.

The victim was transported to the Putnam County Hospital for evaluation. Her injuries included two black eyes, scratches to her stomach, inner foot, right chest and behind her right ear, bruising to her inner and upper arm and neck and a scapula scrape. She also sustained swelling to her lower lip and bridge of her nose, police reports said.

Police went back to the alleged victim's apartment and determined that a struggle had taken place, court documents said.

If convicted on all charges, Collins could be sentenced to up to seven years in jail.

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