A judge sentenced a New Haven man to two and a half years in prison Tuesday on charges the man broke through the door of his ex-wife’s home in Seymour and choked her during a harrowing incident last June.
Shelton Butler, 45, had pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree burglary and second-degree strangulation Nov. 24 before Judge Frank Iannotti at Superior Court in Milford.
According to the terms of the plea deal, Butler faced between two and half and five years behind bars at his sentencing.
Cornelius Kelly, the prosecutor in the case, told the judge Tuesday that he agreed to the lesser sentence after consulting with Butler’s ex-wife, who he said deemed two and a half years in jail “more than fair and appropriate.”
Background
According to a warrant for Butler’s arrest, Butler’s ex-wife called Seymour police to her home June 3 about 7:45 p.m.
Police arrived to find her bruised and shaken, saying that Butler had assaulted her earlier.
She told police he arrived at the house unannounced earlier in the day saying he “just wanted to talk,” but then accused her of seeing other men.
Though court records indicate the couple divorced in 2013, she told police they were married but live in separate residences.
Butler left after about 15 minutes, she said, but then reappeared at the back door of the home, “acting and looking crazy” and demanding to come inside.
She told him to wait and tried to close the home’s garage door to keep him out of the home, but Butler stuck his foot under it, then forced his way through a door to the house and assaulted her for about 10 minutes before she was able to calm him down.
Fortunately, Butler decided to leave after about an hour.
Sentencing
In court Tuesday, Kelly, the prosecutor, said the victim agreed to Butler receiving the two and a half year prison sentence.
“She just wants to see Mr. Butler get the necessary help that he needs” while behind bars, Kelly said.
Butler’s lawyer, Jack O’Donnell, said Butler “acknowledges that he needs to fix himself, and he fully intends to do so by availing himself of programs in the correctional facility as well as when he’s out.”
“All things considered the victim’s wishes are being respected,” O’Donnell said.
Butler did not speak during the sentencing.
Judge Iannotti agreed to the two and a half year sentence, to be followed by seven and a half years of special parole.
The judge ordered Butler to undergo mental health treatment, substance abuse evaluation and treatment, and domestic violence counseling. He also ordered Butler to maintain full-time employment when out of prison, and submit to random drug tests.
