PIERCETON — Jerett Wayne Smith, 38, 904 W. Market St., Pierceton, has been sentenced to serve five and a half years at the Department of Corrections for a January battery charge.

Jerett Wayne Smith

Documents filed with the courts state a Warsaw Police officer was called to Kosciusko Community Hospital for a battery report in January. He met with the victim, who reported the assault occurred at her residence.

She told police she was in an argument with Smith when he punched her in the face. The assault was witnessed by another individual, who confirmed the statement. The emergency room doctor told police the nasal fracture and fractured orbital bone to the right eye would require surgical evaluation.

During his sentencing, Smith presented letters from family members to the court as evidence. He also invited Abel David manager of Serenity House to testify on his behalf. Smith has been in treatment at the Serenity House for around three months.

“He’s been outstanding since he’s been in our program,” testified David. “He is a model of recovery at the Serenity House.”

Katie Hampton deputy prosecuting attorney then spoke up, “We are talking about someone who punched someone in the face so hard that it broke her nose and orbital socket. The State believes that calls for punishment.”

Smith then spoke on his own behalf by reading a letter he wrote to the court. “At that point I knew something needed to change, and that thing was me.” His letter stated he knew he had problems and would be seeking help for his addiction as well as anger management.

Judge David Cates mentioned that regardless of all the letters, Smith still has a substantial chemical abuse issue as well as a substantial criminal history.

Cates sentenced Smith to a total of five and a half years at the Department of Corrections for his charges and recommended him for the purposeful incarceration program. Smith is to have no contact with the victim.