Kalispell man earns partially suspended sentence for assaulting girlfriend
DERRICK PERKINS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 8 months AGO
Eugene Vernon Clark. (Photo courtesy the Flathead County Sheriff's Office)
NEWS EDITOR Derrick Perkins serves as News Editor at the Daily Inter Lake. He oversees daily news coverage and works closely with reporters to plan, edit and publish stories across print and digital platforms. Perkins helps coordinate coverage of local government, public safety, business and community developments throughout Northwest Montana. He works with the reporting staff to strengthen journalism while maintaining consistent daily coverage. His role helps ensure the newsroom delivers timely, accurate reporting that readers rely on. IMPACT: Derrick’s work keeps readers informed about the decisions and events shaping their communities every day. | August 3, 2023 12:00 AM
A Kalispell man arrested for allegedly shoving his girlfriend out of a moving vehicle last summer and continuing to assault her at home earned a partially suspended sentence with the state Department of Corrections in June.
Eugene Clark, 42, at one point faced a felony count of aggravated assault in Flathead County District Court. Prosecutors amended the charge to partner or family member assault in February after Clark, who initially maintained his innocence, struck a plea deal.
Deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office arrested Clark after responding to a reported disturbance on Crest Court on Aug. 22, 2022, according to court documents. Dispatchers reported hearing a woman sobbing on the line while a man yelled in the background.
Clark allegedly greeted deputies at the door, telling them that all was well and the woman OK, court documents said. Authorities detained him and spoke with the victim, who boasted bloody scrapes on her elbows and knees, court documents said.
She told investigators that the two got into an argument after eating dinner in Whitefish. While heading home, he shoved her out of the vehicle, she said.
Upon arriving home, Clark allegedly continued to shove her, pushing her onto the deck and smashing her phone when she tried to reach first responders. She finally reached authorities after grabbing his phone and hiding in a closet, court documents said.
Along with the bloodied knees and elbows, the victim suffered a concussion, laceration to her spleen and a scapula, or shoulder blade, fracture, according to court documents.
As per the deal, prosecutors agreed to recommend a five-year sentence with the Department of Corrections with three years suspended in exchange for Clark’s guilty plea to partner or family member assault.
Handing down the sentence June 15, Judge Dan Wilson stuck to the terms of the deal. He gave Clark credit for three days of time served and ordered him to pay $30,149 in restitution and another $2,922 to the crime victim’s compensation program.
News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].
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