Meherrin Resident Goes to Jail After Strangling Wife in Front of Kids

LUNENBURG – Rodrick Streat, a 39-year-old Meherrin man of 4908 Doswell Town Road, was sentenced recently in Lunenburg Circuit Court to two years and six months in jail on a felony conviction of Strangulation as a result of an attack upon his wife in front of their eight-year-old and four-year-old children.

Streat

According to Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement, the incident arose on October 18, 2015.  The victim told police that she and the children picked up Streat from Piedmont Regional Jail where he had been serving a 20-day jail sentence for a second offense of Driving Under the Influence.  The victim said he insisted that she stop at a store and purchase alcohol over her objections.

She said they got into an argument when she wanted him to leave the residence due to his intoxication. She said he threw his cup of liquor at her, breaking it on the wall.  While she held her four-year-old son, she said he choked her, causing her to drop their son.  She freed herself and yelled for the children to run, but they stayed.  She said he put her into a headlock, and she begged him to stop because the children were watching. She said she bit his thumb, broke away, and began crawling on the floor to get away, but he put her into a bear hug.  She said he eventually calmed down, but still would not let her leave, until she convinced him she was only going to take the children out to get some dinner.  She called the police as soon as she drove out of the driveway.  He also knocked a fish tank off the counter.

The defendant acknowledged getting into an argument about bills, and said she grabbed a frying pan and told him not to put his hands on her.  When she attempted to leave with the children, he said she wasn’t going anywhere and pushed her down.  He denied choking her; however, the victim and her mother testified that she had red marks on her neck that night with what appeared to be imprints of fingers, and was bruised and swollen the next day.

Streat’s past criminal record includes a felony conviction for Malicious Wounding in Kansas in 1999 for which he served 41 months.  He also has prior convictions of Trespassing, Distribution of Marijuana, Obstruction of Justice, Assault, and two DWI’s.

Clement said Mrs. Streat provided one of the most impressive Victim Impact Statements he has seen in many years, describing in detail how the trauma has affected her and the children, day and night, everyday.  She said her young son will still “randomly bring up what his daddy did to his mommy.”

Clement said the victim did not require medical attention. There are no Sentencing Guidelines for Strangulation.

In addition to the active sentence of two and half years, the judge suspended an additional two and a half years subject to conditions of good behavior for 10 years, supervised probation upon his release indefinitely, no contact with the victim and children except as permitted by court order, counseling for substance abuse and anger management, and warrantless searches for five years.