HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a Fulton County jury convicted a man of strangling his girlfriend during a domestic dispute last year.
Nicholas Hendershot, 24, of McConnellsburg, was found guilty Wednesday afternoon of felony strangulation, after the jury deliberated for about an hour.
According to testimony, Hendershot and the victim, his girlfriend at the time, got into an argument in front of their two young children over Hendershot installing a camera to watch the victim while he was at work. The argument escalated and Hendershot grabbed the victim by the neck and held a tight grip.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 9. Hendershot will remain in custody due to multiple violations of no-contact provisions of a previous bail order.
“Violence against a partner or significant other is not only a breach of the trust that exists between two people, physical abuse of another person is a crime,” Attorney General Sunday said. “I admire the victim for having the courage to testify against her abuser, and commend the jurors for reaching a just verdict that holds this defendant accountable for despicable actions.”
The case was referred to the Office of Attorney General by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.
At trial, the victim testified that she began to lose consciousness when Hendershot grabbed her by the neck. When Hendershot let the victim up, she called for help and reported the incident to the Pennsylvania State Police. Troopers noted that the victim’s face was bloody and there were red marks around her neck.
This case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Julia Van Leeuwen and Senior Deputy Attorney General Jaime Keating.
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