PAULDING -- A Melrose man has been found guilty of kidnapping and assaulting his estranged wife.
Patrick Dickinson, 24, 320 W. Franklin St., Melrose, was found guilty of kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and felonious assault, a second-degree felony, during a one-day jury trial held Monday in Paulding County Common Pleas Court. Dickinson had also been indicted for attempted murder, a second-degree felony, but that charge was dropped prior to trial.
Sentencing was set for Thursday.
Dickinson faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine for kidnapping and eight years in prison and a $15,000 fine for felonious assault, according to Judge J. David Webb.
Charges against Dickinson stemmed from a Jan. 17 telephone call from the Morning Star Convenience Store in Melrose to the county sheriff's office stating an employee who came into the store had been beaten.
According to reports, Rebecca Dickinson said she was assaulted by her husband, Patrick, with a baseball bat at their home on Jan. 14. She alleged that during the incident her husband said he would not allow her to leave the home and "threatened to kill her and bury her in the backyard," according to reports. It is further alleged that on Jan. 17, Patrick Dickinson left the couple's home to appear in Paulding County Court on a charge of animal cruelty. When he left the house, the victim said she escaped.
Court records state that Rebecca Dickinson was taken by Oakwood EMS to Paulding County Hospital, suffering from injuries to her hands, arms and head. She was later transferred to another hospital for surgery because of the injuries, according to records.
Patrick Dickinson was arrested in Paulding County Court.