Man pleads to running over girl

EPHRATA — A Beverly man was sentenced to two months in jail and 240 hours of community service for running over his girlfriend.

Robert B. Ferguson II, 47, entered an Alford plea in Grant County Superior Court to the charge of assault in the third degree, stating he didn’t feel he was guilty of the crime, but thought a jury would convict him of a worse crime.

Charges of assault in the second degree and assault in the fourth degree were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

“Originally, Ferguson offered to plead guilty to the third degree felony assault and accept a three month sentence. The maximum sentence for a third degree felony assault for a defendant with no felony history is three months, which is also a sentence inside the range for a defendant with an assault-two with no felony history,” Prosecutor Angus Lee stated. “ We subsequently informed the victim of the offer to plead, and as she also found the offer to be acceptable we entered into an agreement.”

Grant County Superior Court Judge John Antosz agreed with the prosecutor’s recommendation, converting one of the months into 240 hours of community service.

Lee stated the prosecutors later discovered the man had a prior conviction for theft in the first degree. Since the three month sentence would be within the range, prosecutors continued with their recommendation.

“This office makes it a practice of honoring our agreements we were bound to the three month sentence,” he stated. “The court had the option of sentencing higher, but found the three month sentence to be in the interest of justice.”

Ferguson and the victim were drinking in his trailer, when his brother allegedly forced her out of the residence, according to the Mattawa police report. Ferguson forced her into his car, striking her in the face while they were driving home.

When they arrived at the victim’s residence, he pushed her out of the car and drove over her leg as he pulled away.