Man faces prison term for assaulting woman, 13-year-old boy.

Blackburn

Man faces prison term for assaulting woman, 13-year-old boy.

Mason County Press and Oceana County Press are available for free thanks to the generous support of our advertisers and individuals. Three ways to help us: Venmo: @MasonCountyPress; Paypal: MasonCountyPress@gmail.com; Mail a check to PO BOX 21, Scottville, MI 49454. 

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.

LUDINGTON — A 32-year-old Ludington man faces serving a prison term of 40 months to 10 years after pleading “no contest” to assault by strangulation, attempted assault by strangulation and third-offense habitual offender in 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, March 22.

Brian Keith Blackburn admitted to assaulting a 35-year-old woman and a 13-year-old boy in the 400 block of South Harrison Street last November.

“The defendant did grab ahold of (the boy) around the neck and strangled him,” said Judge Susan K. Sniegowski. (The woman) stepped in between to stop him and they started fighting. He grabbed her around the neck and threw her down on the floor.” 

The maximum term for assault by strangulation is 10 years, and the maximum term for attempted assault by strangulation is five years. Blackburn’s habitual offender designation elevates his maximum terms on those charges to 20 years and 10 years.

Blackburn’s attorney Ashley Siegel said her client entered a “no contest” plea due to lack of memory caused by intoxication.

One count of assault by strangulation and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon will be dismissed in exchange for his plea.

Blackburn

The woman had red marks around her neck and face, said Ludington Police Department Cpt. Steve Wietrzykowski, and the boy suffered a cut to his hand. Blackburn had scratches on his back and arms and a cut to his finger. He was treated in the emergency room at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital prior to being lodged in jail.

The woman and boy did not seek medical treatment.

Blackburn was sentenced to two and a half to five years in prison in 2014 for driving drunk through a grocery store parking lot and striking a pedestrian — local teacher Scott Dumas — and then driving away from the crime scene. In 2019, he was ordered to serve three months up front of a one-year discretionary jail term for pulling the keys out of the ignition of his girlfriend’s car and resisting arrest.

Sentencing is set for May 10 at 1 p.m. 

This story is copyrighted © 2022, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.

As the services of Media Group 31, LLC are news services, the information posted within the sites are archivable for public record and historical posterity. For this reason it is the policy and practice of this company to not delete postings. It is the editor’s discretion to update or edit a story when/if new information becomes available. This may be done by editing the posted story or posting a new “follow-up” story. Media Group 31, LLC or any of its agents have the right to make any changes to this policy. Refer to Use Policy for more information.