Defendants sentenced in Charles City Circuit Court

After being convicted in May on a felony charge of failure to appear in court, a Charles City woman set to remain free on bond received a stern warning from a county circuit court judge not to make any bad decisions that could adversely affect her sentencing. Unknown to the judge, she already had.

Karen Louise Barker, 40, of 9201 Willcox Neck Road, had been found guilty during a May 16 trial. She had been indicted at first for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and failed to show up in court for a hearing last October. Since it was a felony matter, the failure to appear charge, normally a misdemeanor, became a felony.

At the May 16 trial, defense attorney Scott Renick told the court his client had completed half of a 12-week substance abuse program, prompting Judge Thomas B. Hoover to issue the warning and allow Barker to remain free on bond until sentencing. Later it was learned that Barker tested positive for cocaine three days earlier during a random drug screening.

“My problem is anything that makes me feel good,” Barker replied to Hoover’s question pertaining to her drug use during last Friday’s sentencing.

Prosecutor Rob Tyler told the court that Barker has a serious, ongoing drug problem and recommended that the defendant be placed in the women’s diversion program operated by the state Department of Corrections. Hoover agreed.

The judge sentenced Barker to five years in prison, all suspended for the next 10 years, and ordered the defendant to successfully complete the diversion program.

In another, unrelated case last Friday, Hoover handed a James City County man an active 10-year prison term in connection with the beating of his sister-in-law.

Andre L. Soule, 41, of 66 Malmac Court, was found guilty in April of one count of malicious wounding. At trial, it was revealed that Soule and two other women, both identified as his sisters-in-law, engaged in a night of drinking last Nov. 25 at Crewe’s Place in Charles City. An argument between one of the women and Soule broke out on the trip back to James City during which Soule punched the victim and struck her with a lamp. The woman sustained broken facial bones that required surgery.

“It’s bad enough that he punches her in the face the first time, but then he drags her out of the car by her hair and hits her with a lamp,” Hoover said at last week’s sentencing. “Those are aggravated malicious injuries.”

Soule apologized for his actions, saying he was “humbly sorry” and that what he did was not in his normal nature. Character witnesses, including his employer and his wife, agreed that Soule acted in surprising fashion.

Unimpressed, Hoover sentenced Soule to 20 years in prison with 10 years suspended for the next 25 years. The defendant was also ordered to pay the victim’s medical bills that amount to over $28,000.

Also last Friday, a Richmond man and woman were convicted of breaking into a county woman’s home last Jan. 10 and stealing items. Among items missing were a handgun along with cash.

Jessica Monique Mosley, 21, of 4204 Mylan Road, pleaded not guilty to three felony charges, but was convicted of burglary and grand larceny. A conspiracy charge was dropped.

Calvin Warren Knight, 21, of 3017 Dill Road, faced the same three charges, but pleaded guilty to all three as part of a plea deal. A grand larceny of a firearm charge was amended to grand larceny of cash and property.

Nancy Bates testified that she drove past the home of her sister-in-law, Minnie Bates, last Jan. 10 and noticed a silver-colored SUV parked in the driveway. When she drove past again about 10 minutes later, the vehicle was still there. Knowing her sister-in-law was not at home, she pulled in behind the SUV.

Bates approached the driver, whom she identified as Mosley and asked if she could help her. Mosley, she said, told her she was just about to knock on the door and ask for directions to Richmond. Bates said she gave the defendant directions and watched as she drove away.

Bates contacted her sister-in-law’s son, Frank Bates, who discovered a rear bathroom window had been broken. Drawers and closets inside the home were in disarray. A .38 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun that Minnie Bates kept under her pillow was missing, he told the court.

Knight testified against his accomplice, saying Mosley drove him to the house and the two discussed breaking in. Knight, however, denied stealing the handgun. The weapon was never recovered.

In return for his testimony, Knight received a deal from the prosecution whereby his three felony convictions warranted all suspended prison time. But the sentence was part of the prosecution’s plan, Tyler told the court.

“Eight days later [Mosley and Knight] did the same thing in New Kent,” Tyler said. “He got three years while she pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in lower court and she didn’t fully cooperate there.

“This way, we got our pound of flesh against Mr. Knight in New Kent, and turned it around and used him against her and got our pound of flesh here,” Tyler said.

Substitute Judge Thomas Nance sentenced Knight to 20 years on the burglary count and 10 years each of the grand larceny and conspiracy charges, suspending all for life. Sentencing for Mosley is scheduled for September.