TX Woman Assaults Boyfriend with Stripper Pole, Oil, Cops Say
Consider using a stripper pole next time you need to assault someone and nothing else is handy.
Actually no, scratch that, pink stripper poles should not be used for evil.
But when she ran out of other weapons that's what Sarah Howell of Killeen, Texas allegedly used to beat her boyfriend on Sunday. Turns out assaulting someone with a stripper pole will still get you arrested.
If, like Howell, you've been prosecuted for domestic abuse previously that can mean a larger potential punishment.
Howell was convicted for assaulting her boyfriend with garden tools in 2010, reports Huffington Post.
No word on whether this is the same man as two years ago but if it is then we're really confused.
When police arrived at the home this time in response to a domestic disturbance call they found a shirtless man and then discovered Howell crying in her bedroom. She claimed that her boyfriend has assaulted her.
But then the young man, who had scratches on his face, neck, chest, hands, and back, reportedly showed the cops some cell phone footage he had taken.
The video showed Howell slapping him and splashing hot oil on him, according to the Killeen Daily Herald. He claims he then ran from her because she was wielding a pink stripper pole and tried to hit him with it.
No one has explained why the couple had a mobile pink stripper pole hanging around their home.
The man's video and the scratches could be evidence of assault at trial. The prosecution will have to show that Howell threatened to or actually physically harmed her boyfriend.
Video evidence can be hard to refute but having a good attorney always helps. Still, even the best criminal defender may not be enough for Howell.
Under common law, assault is a threat of violence and battery is actual physical harm but most state laws have combined the two into one crime. Given the allegations against Howell, that seems to be the case in Texas.
At least Howell will have time to think about what she's done after the stripper pole assault. She was arraigned Wednesday and bail is set at $5,000 but so far it doesn't appear that anyone has paid up.
Related Resources:
- Stupid Crimes (The Washinton Examiner)
- Miami Houses Nation's First Stripper Prison? (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Converted 'Slambulance' with Stripper Pole Has EMTs Upset (FindLaw's Legal Grounds)