A Hot Springs man pleaded guilty Monday in Garland County Circuit Court to attacking and injuring his 84-year-old grandmother earlier this year.
Paul Jordan Lynch, 31, who lists a Shady Heights Road address, pleaded guilty to second-degree domestic battery, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and was sentenced to five years' supervised probation, fined $1,500 and ordered to pay $420 in court costs. A previously issued court order barring him from contact with the victim remains in place.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Jan. 8, 2018, the victim told Garland County sheriff's Deputy Richard Garrett her grandson, identified as Lynch, was on her cellphone arguing angrily with his girlfriend and when she told him he would have to pay for more minutes on her phone because he had been on it for two hours he got mad at her.
She said she told him he needed to move out "if he was going to talk to her and act the way he was acting." At that point, he picked up a trash can and dumped it all over the living room and then picked up a plastic container of used diapers and dumped it over her head.
She said he struck her in the head with the container, cutting her, and then put the container over her head.
The victim's daughter, who also lives at the residence, said she heard the arguing and ran out to see what was going on and told Lynch to leave because she was calling the police.
Lynch reportedly got into his pickup and left the scene. LifeNet responded to check the victim's injuries and she was transported to National Park Medical Center for treatment.
Around 10 p.m., Cpl. Jon Lane made a traffic stop on Lynch just down the road from the residence in the 500 block of Carpenter Dam Road and brought him back to the scene where Garrett took him into custody.
Under Arkansas law, a person commits felony second-degree domestic battery if he or she knowingly causes physical injury to a family or household member he or she knows to be 60 years of age or older or 12 years of age or younger.
Lynch was initially held on zero bond, but was released two days later on $5,000 bond.
Local on 05/23/2018