(AP) — A former University of Mississippi student has been convicted of beating his ex-girlfriend, who’s sued him for allegedly choking and kidnapping her.

The Clarion Ledger reports 24-year-old Sheldon Givens Alston Jr. pleaded guilty last Tuesday to aggravated domestic violence. Oxford police say Alston kidnapped and repeatedly beat his then-girlfriend in 2016. Alston is part of a prominent Mississippi legal family and is the grandson of a former Mississippi Bar Association president.

The kidnapping charge was later thrown out as part of a plea deal in which Alston was sentenced to three years in prison.

Alston was ordered to surrender to authorities June 24 to begin his sentence. The lawsuit by the woman is ongoing and seeks unspecified damages.