A Hot Springs man who pistol-whipped his wife in 2017 after she caught him with another woman was sentenced to six years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to multiple charges in Garland County Circuit Court.
William Henry Bagby, 31, who was set to stand trial Thursday, pleaded guilty to second-degree domestic battery from the attack on his wife and possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from a traffic stop in 2018 and was sentenced to six years in prison on each count, all to run concurrently. Court costs were expunged for previous time served.
According to the probable cause affidavit on the battery charge, on Oct. 8, 2017, around 10:30 p.m., Garland County sheriff's Deputy Charles DeLaHunt responded to a disturbance at a residence on Marney Lane after Bagby called and stated he pistol-whipped his wife following an argument.
DeLaHunt made contact with Bagby, who was standing in the front yard, while Deputy Justin Parker and Cpl. Josh Cannon went inside to make contact with his wife. They found she had a severe laceration to the bridge of her nose, a huge knot to the left side of her forehead and bruising to her right ear and the top of her head.
She told them she came to the residence and found Bagby in bed with another woman, so she went outside and pushed over his motorcycle. She told deputies she grabbed a piece of metal to throw through a car window when Bagby came outside and fired two shots into the woods.
The argument reportedly continued as she went inside to confront the other woman. Once inside, Bagby struck her four to five times with the pistol. He then went outside to call 911 and wait on deputies to arrive.
The victim was transported by LifeNet to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs for her injuries and Bagby was arrested. Deputies reportedly located a .40-caliber pistol and two spent shell casings while searching the property.
Bagby was released the next day on $10,000 bond and pleaded not guilty to the charge on Dec. 18, 2017. On June 25, 2018, he failed to appear at a scheduled hearing on the case and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
According to the probable cause affidavit on the drug charges, on Aug. 17, 2018, Hot Springs National Park officers were conducting speed enforcement on West Mountain Road when they clocked a southbound Dodge Durango speeding through the area and stopped it at Prospect and West Mountain.
The driver, identified as Bagby, and passenger both stated they had knives on them and the officers saw a "war club" on the passenger's lap so they asked both of them to get out. Bagby immediately confessed to having a marijuana "roach" in the center console.
While searching Bagby, the officers located a small baggie of what later tested positive for meth, 2.2 grams, in his boot.
Bagby immediately stated, "Hey man, I'm just trying to make an extra hundred bucks. Some guy asked me to drop it off for him." Bagby also admitted to having a scale in the driver's side compartment. A meth pipe and a nugget of marijuana, 1.2 gram, wrapped in a lottery ticket were also found in the glove compartment.
Bagby was arrested and was later released on $12,000 bond on Aug. 30, 2018. He was set for a disposition hearing on the charges on Aug. 7, 2019, but opted to plead guilty Monday.
Local on 06/18/2019