DILLON — Twelfth Circuit Court Judge Michael Nettles has denied a request by former Dillon County sheriff’s corporal's attorneys to lower hissentence for crimes against a former girlfriend.
Robert Paul Grimsley, 38, a former Dillon County sheriff’s corporal, was arrested in December and charged with obstruction of justice, stalking, violating a protection order, malicious injury to property and criminal domestic violence. He pleaded guilty to the charges against him Monday at the Dillon County Courthouse, S.C. Attorney General spokesman Mark Plowden said.
Twelfth Circuit Court Judge Michael Nettles sentenced Grimsley to seven years in prison, suspended to five years and three years of probation on Tuesday, Dillon County Clerk of Court Gwen Hyatt said. Grimsley was given credit for 64 days of time served, but must attend counseling and stay away from the victim.
Dillon County Courthouse officials said Nettles asked Grimsley during a hearing Friday if there was any justification for the violence against his former girlfriend. Grimsley said there was none.
Officials also said Nettles gave several reasons for deciciding not to lower the sentence: Grimsley’s emotional problems, his status as a sworn officer of the law, the seriousness of the criminal domestic violence charges, his repeated violation of the protection order and the fact that he asked a fellow officer to tamper with evidence in the case.
Investigators said Grimsley was charged with criminal domestic violence in November after he grabbed his live-in girlfriend around the neck and kicked her at his home in Latta.
Less than a month later, officials said, Grimsley violated the terms of an order of protection against him when he went to the victim’s house.
The suspect slashed her tires and was arrested a second time Dec. 22, Dillon Police Chief Joe Rogers said in an earlier report.
That day, prosecutors said, he tried to convince a police officer working the case to switch or destroy blood samples taken as evidence in the case.
The victim in the case told Circuit Court Judge William Seales in January that the suspect would ride by her home 18 to 20 times a day in his own vehicle. At times, he would ride by her house in a car borrowed from a friend.
The victim said she was home the night the suspect showed up at her house to slash her tires. She said the suspect’s abusive behavior had persisted for more than a year, but she continued to date him because she loved him.
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