Cd'A man sentenced

COEUR d'ALENE - A 57-year-old Coeur d'Alene man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for domestic battery for an incident in which his female victim suffered facial injuries and was strangled.

John J. Marr was sentenced Thursday in 1st District Court by Judge John Mitchell, who ordered that eight years be mandatory.

Marr was charged after Coeur d'Alene police officers arrived at Marr's home on Sept. 25, finding the woman with bruising on her lips and jaw and bleeding under the eyes.

The victim told police that Marr had strangled her off and on for several minutes, and that she lost consciousness.

After initially telling police that the injuries had been caused by accident in trying to restrain the victim, Marr told the court at sentencing that he had walked in on the victim while she was strangling herself.

Marr's criminal history includes four prior felony convictions, including making terroristic threats, possession of a firearm by a felon, domestic battery and assault with a deadly weapon.

Mitchell in handing down the sentence said he didn't believe Marr's claims that the victim had self-inflicted her injuries. Further, he said there is little hope of rehabilitation.

Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh, who announced the sentence in a press release, said, "The long sentence imposed by Judge Mitchell is justified by the nature of this crime and Marr's history of victimization of similar women."

McHugh said Marr's failure to accept responsibility is troubling.

"The long fixed sentence will prevent similar incidents for at least eight years, and we hope that Mr. Marr will be deterred from similar violent conduct in the future."