Mostly Cloudy / 35° F
Dowagiac man totaled car with sledgehammer
Published 11:43am Monday, December 14, 2009By NORMA LERNER
Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS – A Dowagiac man who lost his temper during an argument with his girlfriend, shot at her to scare her and smashed her car with a sledgehammer will spend 120 days in the Cass County Jail and the next two years on probation.
James Ross, 50, of 52400 M-51, received the sentencing Friday morning in Circuit Court by Judge Michael Dodge who said, “That’s a lot of rage with a sledgehammer. You produced a weapon which you began firing which could have caused injury or death. The court has had some homicides just like that. You wielded a sledgehammer until you destroyed it (her car).”
Defense attorney Lawrence Quigley said, “Ross lost his temper on this occasion. He learned his lesson.” Ross did apologize to the victim.
In addition to assault with a dangerous weapon, Ross got a concurrent 90 days jail for malicious destruction of property over $200 or more.
Dodge recounted that it was Sept. 18 when Ross had an argument with the woman he was seeing.
“You got a gun, a .22-caliber rifle, and fired at her to scare her to leave the property. You totaled her vehicle worth $3,700 with a sledgehammer.”
Dodge would not allow work release or tether and imposed costs of $1,168 and restitution of $3,707.
