(Pictured above: Tyler Hutton)
(Picture above: Darrey Lynn Hart)
Two men,who faced charges in unrelated cases stemming from violent domestic confrontations, received probation after the victims of the crimes appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday and asked for leniency.
Both men are serving time in the state prison system on earlier convictions.
Tyler Hutton was sentenced to six years probation after pleading guilty to third-degree battery, and Darrey Hart was given 20 years probation after he pled guilty to charges of aggravated assault and domestic battery.
The charges against the 46-year-old Hart stem from a violent incident in late November last year in which he is alleged to have attacked his mother and stepfather in their home located along Big Pond Circle where Hart was also reported to be living at the time.
The stepfather said he had gone to the residence for lunch shortly after noon November 29th last year. He said he found Hart had been arguing with his mother. The stepfather told Hart to leave the mother alone so he could go back to work and not have to worry about them fighting.
According to court records, Hart and his stepfather became involved in an altercation. At one point, Hart is said to have retreated to his bedroom and came out wielding a large knife. The stepfather said Hart came at him brandishing the knife. He said Hart’s mother attempted to get between the two males and began to struggle for the knife as well.
When Hart saw the large amount of blood produced during the fight, he left the area. He was later found in a Mountain Home motel room and taken into custody. He told officers he had acted in self-defense and accused the stepfather of being the initial aggressor.
Hart’s mother appeared in court Thursday and, in an emotional statement, asked the court to spare her son additional jail time. She was questioned by 14th Judicial District Prosecutor David Ethredge and verified in her sworn testimony what she had requested of the prosecution in her son’s case.
In addition to probation, Hart was ordered by the court not to have contact with the victims in the case.
The 25-year-old Hutton was charged with domestic battery after a report came into police that Hutton and his girlfriend had gotten into a physical altercation.
The girlfriend told officers she attempted to leave the apartment when Hutton grabbed her by the hair. He was also alleged to have poked the woman in the eyes with his fingers. When Hutton left the residence, the victim called police.
The altercation took place in front of several children, according to police reports. Hutton was convicted in a similar type offense in California two years ago. He was an active parolee at the time of the incident with the girlfriend.
Hutton has said from the beginning the couple wanted the charges dropped. His girlfriend, identifying Hutton as her fiancee, appeared in court Thursday and told Judge Gordon Webb in sworn testimony she had asked prosecutors to drop the charges. She said the couple “had potential” and called the situation leading to the charges against Hutton “a mistake.”
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