BENNETTSVILLE — A brawl erupted in a Marlboro County courtroom Tuesday when the family members of a slain woman attacked a man charged in her death, according to court officials.
George Anthony Cousins, 46, is charged with murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend, 42-year-old Tammy Locklear Norris, and appeared in court Tuesday morning for a bond hearing on the charges, 4th Circuit Solicitor Will Rogers said.
Just before the hearing started, two of Norris’ children lunged for Cousins.
Cousins were apparently punched in the eye during the brief scuffle, but no serious injuries were reported and the fight was broken up quickly by deputies, Rogers said.
Joshua Norris, 20, Laurinburg, N.C., and Nathaniel Dale Norris, 21, are charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and contempt of court.
Deander Locklear, 37, is charged breach of peace after authorities said he caused a disturbance outside the Marlboro County Courthouse on Tuesday, Rogers said.
Joshua and Nathaniel Norris will have to appear before 3rd Circuit Court Judge Howard King, who presided over Cousins’ bond hearing, later because it was he who held them in contempt of court. King later denied bond for Cousins’ release.
Cousins was arrested when deputies responded to the shooting in Tatum at 5 a.m. on July 17 when the suspect called E-911.
Tammy Norris later died at a Charlotte hospital and the suspect’s charge was upgraded to murder.
Bond was also denied Tuesday for a man accused shooting a store clerk to death May 11.
Marcus Townsend, 17, along with three other suspects, are charged with murder, armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in the death of 44-year-old Samer Hussein of Palestine, who worked as a clerk at the Quik Stop Grocery in Bennettsville.
Townsend’s co-defendant, 18-year-old Rashawn Baskins, has been released on bond, Marlboro County Detention Center officials said. Bond previously was denied for 20-year-old Kadeem Ocean.
A 15-year-old boy also charged in the case remains in custody at the state Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia.
In a third unrelated murder case, 37-year-old John Lee Hogan Jr. of Texas waived his right to a bond hearing Tuesday. He is charged in the death of Monesha Shante Brown, 29, whose body was found July 22 off S.C. 38 after she’d been missing for more than a month.
Medical examiners used dental records to positively identify her, Marlboro County Coroner Tim Brown said in an earlier report.
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