FARMINGTON – A Carthage man was ordered in Franklin County Superior Court on Friday to serve three years of a 10-year sentence and four years of probation for a domestic violence incident in which a woman’s throat was cut.
Bennie Bowie II, 48, of Carthage, pleaded guilty to Class B felony aggravated assault, as part of a negotiated plea in which charges of attempted murder and elevated aggravated assault were dismissed.
Bowie pleaded guilty to aggravated assault as an Alford Plea in which a defendant who maintains innocence or disagrees with the state’s version of the case agrees to plead guilty to minimize the risk of a trial and a longer prison sentence.
Bowie entered his guilty plea on Nov. 18. Assistant District Attorney Joshua Robbins said at the time officers responded to a residence in Carthage on Nov. 1, 2015, after receiving an emergency call that a woman was bleeding heavily from the neck. The victim told police that she had been cut with a “butcher knife” by Bowie in his truck. Bowie and the victim, who were in a relationship, had been arguing after the victim told Bowie she wanted to stay at her father’s house for the night due to the cold weather and her medical conditions.
The victim also told the officers that she had been punched by Bowie, who had drunk a dozen beers, vodka and taken intravenous heroin, during the altercation and had fled into Bowie’s truck. Bowie got into the truck, and poked her in the neck with a knife. He also grabbed her by the head and struck it against the vehicle’s dash, while yelling at her and saying he wanted to kill her, Robbins said on Friday.
“Clumps of hair were found in the vehicle,” he said. Bowie then got out of the vehicle and moving to the other side of the vehicle, reached in through the passenger’s side and cut the victim across her neck with a knife.
“This was a very serious assault that left a three- or four-inch cut on her neck that required surgical repair,” Robbins told Justice William Stokes.
Defense attorney, Thomas Carey countered Robbins’ depiction, noting that the victim’s injury did not rise to the level of serious bodily injury. Bowie had taken the victim to his parents house and then his mother called 911. When officers arrived they reported the victim was walking around and talking and said she didn’t need medical attention. When she did agree to go to the hospital, the medical staff treating her were more concerned with her nearly comatose state of intoxication than her neck wound,” he said.
“Nobody knows for sure what happened that night,” Carey said. His client decided to enter a plea so the victim wouldn’t have to endure a trial. If it had gone to trial, the victim would have been shown to have been highly intoxicated, as having a history of substance abuse and violent behavior and that night she had used a claw hammer in the altercation, he said. The victim is currently in rehab.
After Bowie left the victim with his parents on the night of the altercation, he drove to his aunt’s house in Wells.
“He panicked; he was afraid of getting arrested,” Carey said. When he was told he was wanted by the police, he turned himself in. The year Bowie has been in jail awaiting trial, “he’s accomplished a lot,” he added.
He’s nearly completed his General Educational Development or GED, attended counseling and has been attending a writing workshop while in jail, Carey said. Elizabeth Cooke, a retired University of Maine at Farmington writing professor who conducts the workshops for inmates, described Bowie as having a talent for writing and quoted some of his work in which he talks of forgiving others for the bullying he’s endured throughout his life, for taking responsibility of his actions and how he wants to help others. Born with a cleft palate and having undergone multiple surgeries, the bullying he’s suffered all his life from others continues. He also has a heart condition and needs medical care he can’t get in jail, she said.
“I believe Bennie has done more than enough time; he has served his time,” Cooke said and she added, “I believe in him with all my heart.” Other wrote letters of support for Bowie to serve less time.
“He’s done an incredible amount of work while in jail,” Carey said, “he’s working to be a successful person in society.”
“I apologize for all the aggravation this has caused both families. I feel real bad; can’t turn back the time. All I can do is move forward,” Bowie said.
Robbins argued that Bowie should serve five of 10-year sentence in prison and the defense argued for two years of a 10-year sentence be served. Both sides agreed on four years of probation. Bowie has been incarcerated since his arrest a little more than a year ago and will get credit for time served.
“There’s no doubt Mr. Bowie has done a remarkable job,” Justice Stokes said of Bowie’s achievements while incarcerated. But, he balanced that with “the fact remains the victim sustained fairly significant injuries.”
Stokes ordered Bowie to serve three years of a 10-year sentence and four years of probation with conditions he doesn’t possess alcohol or illegal drugs, submit to random search and testing by police, to have no contact with the victim unless she submits a letter requesting contact with Bowie to the District Attorney’s Office.
“Mr. Bowie, it’s a credit to you, you’ve done a great job,” Stokes said.
