A Williamsburg man who was arrested in December and charged with three felonies — abduction, strangulation and attempted strangulation — went before a Williamsburg-James City County District Judge on Tuesday, where all but the strangulation charge were dropped.
Leach also had three misdemeanors dropped: two assault and battery charges and one attempted sexual battery charge. Tuesday’s hearing featured testimony from both Leach and the victim of his alleged crimes, a 40-year-old woman.
The charge stems from a pair of incidents on Dec. 21 and 22. In the first incident, Leach allegedly jumped the woman and choked her until she blacked out. Around 6 a.m. the following day, he allegedly punched her several times while she was sleeping and then held her against her will.
Major Greg Riley of the Williamsburg Police Department said in a December interview the victim was able to escape and report the incident to police.
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Gaten said the choice to move forward with the strangulation charge against Darryl Leach was strategic. He declined to comment on the dropping of the other charges.
Tuesday’s hearing featured testimony from both Leach and the victim of his alleged crimes.
“We went through evidence,” Gaten said of the hearing. “Her testimony was consistent with the fact that he did strangle her, in putting his hands around her neck and squeezing to the point where she blacked out momentarily.”
During the testimony, the woman also testified she tried to defend herself during the strangulation and in the course of that effort Leach punched her in the back of the head.
Leach denied strangling the woman. He testified they got into a verbal argument and she got physical. He also said he may have put his hands on her to defend himself.
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