'Cycle of repeated abuse;' Jury takes 10 minutes to convict Brunswick man of 2020 aggravated assault

GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. — A Glynn County jury only took 10 minutes before reaching a verdict in a 2020 aggravated assault case.

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District Attorney Keith Higgins announced that on Mon., Feb. 26, Kelvin Jeffrey Jones, 58, Brunswick, was found guilty on one count of aggravated assault by strangulation.

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Evidence during trial showed that on July 8, 2020, Jones and the victim, who was his girlfriend, had been involved in an argument that turned physical while they were staying at the Oleander Motel in Brunswick.

Jones had dragged the victim into their room, choked her, and hit her in the face. She was able to escape and call 911 using a neighbor’s phone at the motel.

When Brunswick police officers responded, they observed swelling and a cut around the victim’s eye and marks around her neck consistent with strangulation.

After leaving the scene before police arrived, Jones was stopped a few hours later for a traffic violation. He admitted to officers about the prior assault on his girlfriend. “All I did was choke her,” Jones said to officers.

While the victim did not want to prosecute the case and denied any wrongdoing, additional evidence was brought to trial about another assault.

On July 24, 2023, the defendant again assaulted the victim while they were living together. His girlfriend again suffered injuries including a laceration to her head. She had to be taken to a local hospital because of the amount of blood lost.

The district attorney said the responding officer in that incident testified that the victim had told him that she had lied numerous times to cover up for the defendant.

“The jurors were able to see the cycle of repeated abuse the defendant committed against the victim and understood that sometimes you have to step in to help someone that can’t help themselves,” Assistant District Attorney Leland McElveen Jr. said in a statement. “In this case, the jurors returned a verdict that spoke the truth, and they held Kelvin Jones accountable for his actions as a domestic abuser.”

Because Jones has three or more prior felony convictions, he will be sentenced as a repeat offender. He’s looking at a maximum sentence of 20 years without the possibility of parole.

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Sentencing is scheduled for Thur., March 7, 2024.

If you or someone you know needs help because of domestic abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.

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