Mt. Morris man found guilty of assaulting pregnant woman
A Mt. Morris man charged with assaulting a pregnant woman last October was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts and not guilty of more serious charges, including aggravated assault and strangulation, during his jury trial earlier this month.
According to court documents, Derek Morgan Lemley Coss, 28, was found guilty of one misdemeanor count each of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person during his jury trial before President Judge Lou Dayich in Greene County court Feb. 3.
Of the remaining charges initially filed by Greene County Regional Police, Coss was found not guilty on felony counts of aggravated assault, aggravated assault of an unborn child and strangulation, one misdemeanor count of terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person and a summary count of criminal mischief.
Three additional misdemeanor charges – one count each of terroristic threats, simple assault and reckless endangerment – were dismissed during the trial.
The initial charges were filed following an Oct. 13 incident at a residence in Perry Township. According to court records, officers were told by the victim on the evening of Oct. 12 she and Coss got into a verbal altercation at their rented home on Main Street in Mt. Morris.
The woman, who was 13 weeks pregnant at the time of the incident, said she decided to take their 2-year-old son to her mother’s residence so they could be separated from Coss for the night, according to court documents. When she returned with their son at 8 a.m. the next morning, she was locked out and was unable to enter, court documents state.
The woman said after finding a way into the residence, she found Coss sleeping, and when he woke up he became “immediately upset and irate” and began tearing the residence apart, breaking numerous items and a window, court documents state. The woman told police she feared for her unborn child’s life, according to court records.
The woman told police Coss grabbed her by the neck, choking her, and threw her against the refrigerator, before strangling her again and striking her head against a metal door. She said Coss grabbed her by her upper arms and slammed her into the floor and into other pieces of furniture, before throwing an ax handle in the residence, which nearly struck the 2-year-old boy, court records state.
The woman, who said she was cut by broken glass that resulted in cuts to her arms and hands, then told police she left the house with her son and drove to a nearby residence to call 911, court documents state.
Coss was arraigned on the charges Oct. 13 and was placed in Greene County jail after failing to post $100,000 straight bail. During his preliminary hearing in later October, all of the charges were held for court.
Coss is currently awaiting sentencing, according to court records.