SEALY MAN GOING TO PRISON AFTER BEING FOUND GUILTY OF ASSAULT

  

An Austin County jury handed down maximum sentences to a Sealy man after a four-day trial in District Court.

30-year-old Richard Gatlin was convicted of Assault Bodily Injury – Domestic Violence with a Previous Conviction, and Attempted Assault Bodily Injury – Domestic Violence with a Previous Conviction.

According to prosecutors, the case stems from an incident that occurred on May 28, 2023 in which Gatlin attempted to injure his girlfriend.  

When a female roommate intervened, he punched her in the face several times, causing a bloody nose, and significant bruising.

Sealy Police Officers arrived on the scene within three minutes of being dispatched to the disturbance, and after investigating, quickly took Gatlin into custody.

The defense argued that Gatlin did not intend to hurt his girlfriend, and that the injured roommate did not actually live with the couple.

The jury deliberated an hour and a half before returning two guilty verdicts.

During the punishment phase, Austin County Assistant District Attorney Ben Nystrom presented evidence that Gatlin was a repeat felony offender.

Gatlin had been convicted of three prior domestic violence-related assaults against three additional women in the past five years.

The jury deliberated only 18 minutes before giving Gatlin the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the Assault charge. 

He was also sentenced to an additional two years in a State Jail facility for the Attempted Assault Charge.