A 55-year-old Silver Creek man has received the maximum prison sentence after being convicted of aggravated assault domestic violence with a deadly weapon.

On Feb. 7, James Stanley Roberts was convicted in Lawrence County Circuit Court before Judge Prentis Harrell. Roberts was charged with shooting his girlfriend in the back from less than 20 feet away following a domestic dispute, using a .30-.30 Marlin lever action rifle. Though the victim was not killed, she was paralyzed as a result.

On Friday, Feb. 16, Judge Harrell sentenced Roberts to 25 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, the maximum penalty allowed by law. The charge traditionally carries 20 years, but the additional liability comes from using a firearm in the commission of the felony assault. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Carpenter Marsalis and Reginald “Chip” Lewis.

“Domestic violence cases are particularly hard to prosecute due to the nature of the relationships between the parties,” said District Attorney Hal Kittrell following Roberts’ conviction. “The citizens of this state and Lawrence County made clear that they will not tolerate shooting an innocent person in the back for no other reason than anger. This conviction delivers justice to the community and the victim’s family for the lasting damage that Roberts has caused. We appreciate the work of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office on this case.”

On Friday, Kittrell said he was happy with the outcome.

“I am very pleased with the sentence in this case,” Kittrell said. “The defendant shot another human when her back was turned following a domestic dispute. Eyewitnesses watched as the defendant aimed and fired a .30-.30 rifle at the victim, which ultimately left her paralyzed. The conviction and sentence in this case delivers justice to the community and the victim’s family for the lasting damage that Roberts has caused.”