Wrangell Sentinel -

State of Alaska Superior Court Judge Kevin Miller sentenced James Howe, 42, to serve eight months in jail at his July 14 hearing.

Howe was convicted by a Wrangell jury last month on two counts relating to a domestic disturbance.

According to a complaint filed in Wrangell’s First District Superior Court, on March 5 officers responded to a report of fighting at the Alaska State Housing Authority. Dana Cawthorne had told police Howe assaulted her and prevented her from calling for help. Howe further admitted to authorities that he had taken her phone away and “roughed her up a little,” according to the complaint.

On June 25, Howe was convicted by a Wrangell jury for third-degree assault and for interfering with reporting domestic violence, respectively a class C felony and class A misdemeanor. Howe had previously pled guilty to two charges of fourth-degree assault in Ketchikan, which court documents indicate were factors in the present charge of third-degree assault.

Twenty-four of the 36 months Howe had been sentenced to serve were suspended, with the remainder to be served immediately. Following his release, he is also to be placed on three years’ conditional probation. Howe is also expected to pay police training and jail surcharges totaling $250 and to provide samples for the DNA Registration System.