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Hammer attack suspect to spend 4 to 6 years in prison

| August 12, 2024

NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Aug. 12, 2024) – A Dover man is heading to prison for brutally assaulting his former roommate.

47-year-old Kenton George will serve 4 to 6 years there for bludgeoning the victim multiple times with a hammer. It happened on February 20th after what Assistant Tuscarawas County Assistant Prosecutor Scott Deedrick described as several weeks of conflict between the two men who had recently moved in together.

“He obviously used this hammer as a deadly weapon. He had set it aside, made it available for his use to use it as a deadly weapon and did use it and hit the victim approximately five times in the head with this hammer including following him upstairs.” 

George has no known substance use issues or previous criminal history aside from a few traffic tickets. His public defender claimed he was in fear for his life and acted in self-defense. 

“We are asking if the court would consider community control. Again, Mr. George has never been on probation. I think he would follow every order that the court gave of him, would never miss an appointment with his supervising officer, will be a productive member of society when he gets out of jail.”

Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Ernest handed down the punishment, crediting George for the 171 days he spent in jail while the case was pending.

When someone hits somebody in the head with a hammer, in my mind that’s conduct that prison is there for so I’m not going to place you on community-controlled sanctions. I believe prison is appropriate in this case.”

The victim was taken by ambulance to Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital, where he was treated and released.

George was originally charged with attempted murder, but the prosecution agreed to drop that count, citing ‘insufficient evidence.’

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