Centerville man to serve life in prison for violent 2022 sexual assault
A Centerville man was ordered to serve a life sentence Monday after jurors found him guilty of a violent sexual assault, Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards said in a news release Tuesday.
Gary Shannon, 42, was found guilty of aggravated sexual battery, aggravated assault and false imprisonment on April 15. He was sentenced to life in prison on Monday.
He was convicted of sexually assaulting his partner in an incident on Nov. 3, 2022.
On that day, “Shannon strangled the victim to unconsciousness, struck her, and perpetrated an egregious sexual assault against her, all while keeping her unlawfully confined to her bedroom,” the news release said.
The woman “suffered at the hands of the defendant for years, too afraid to leave for many reasons,” but the Nov. 3, 2022, incident was “the final straw,” Assistant District Attorney Brandi Holland said in the news release.
“The courage it takes to break that cycle and come forward cannot be overstated,” Edwards said in the news release. “In this case, the victim’s strength, combined with the work of law enforcement and the evidence presented at trial, ensured that the truth was heard and justice was delivered.”
