Sentencing has been set for Dec. 3 for a 52-year-old Burley man found guilty by a Blaine County jury of felony battery against his ex-wife earlier this year in Bellevue.
At the conclusion of a two-day trial on Sept. 12-13, the jury determined that Larry E. Richardson was guilty of the crime of domestic battery inflicting traumatic injury for breaking his ex-wife’s nose at her home on North Third Street in Bellevue on the morning of Jan. 21. According to court records, the couple was divorced in 2011 but Richardson was living at the home at the time of the altercation.
The crime is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The jury found Richardson not guilty of a misdemeanor crime of intentional interference with a 911 emergency call.
Richardson was not taken into custody and remains free on $2,500 bond.
He was represented at trial by Hailey attorney Douglas Nelson. The state was represented by Blaine County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Matt Fredback.
During the trial, the victim, officers from the Bellevue Marshal’s Office and a doctor testified that Richardson broke the woman’s nose and caused facial bruising when he grabbed her by the face during an argument.
Richardson was originally charged with misdemeanor battery when arrested by the Bellevue Marshal’s Office but prosecutors refiled the case as a felony after medical records later showed the extent of the injuries.
“I’m pleased that the jury found him guilty, and I hope that the verdict gives our victim some measure of closure,” Fredback stated in a news release. “She is a very brave woman.”
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
Larry E. Richardson
