Cherokee Man Sentenced For 'One Of The Worst Beatings' Of Wife

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — A Cherokee County man is being punished for "one of the worst" domestic violence cases in which the victim lived seen by county prosecutors for beating his wife.

David Charles Kemp, 39, entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced on July 31 for brutally assaulting his wife in December 2018. He pleaded guilty to family violence aggravated assault, two counts of family violence aggravated battery, three counts of family violence battery, violation of protective order, and terroristic threats and acts.

This domestic violence incident began in the couple’s home in Acworth during which the defendant struck his wife in the face and throughout her body, causing a subdural hematoma, a broken nose, facial contusions and lacerations, and contusions on her extremities and her chest.

When law enforcement responded, the victim was in Holly Springs sitting in the driver’s seat of her parked car nearly nine miles away from her home. According to the responding officer, the woman was in distress and had a swollen face and bruising all over her body. She told the officer that the incident had occurred two days prior, but she could not recall many details other than that her husband had beaten her.

“This was one of the worst beatings I’ve ever seen in my years of prosecuting domestic violence cases. This assault likely happened over several days before the victim escaped. Due to the brain trauma, the victim still suffers memory loss. She is very lucky to be alive,” said Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ashe, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State. “This is a classic example of how domestic violence often escalates. The defendant had assaulted his wife previously and each incident was more brutal than the last.”

During the sentencing hearing, the State played a recorded phone call in which the defendant told the victim that she “owed him,” and then made veiled threats to hurt her again when he was released from custody.

In his pronouncement of sentencing, Judge Anthony Baker commented that this was the worst case of domestic violence he had seen in which the victim survived. The court told the victim that she deserved to be “treated like a queen,” and not in this brutal manner. For her protection, Baker included a condition of the defendant’s sentence to have no further contact with the victim.

Baker handed down a total sentence of 40 years with the first 25 years to be served in the State Penal System. Upon completion of the 25 years in custody, the remainder of the sentence will be served on probation with various specific conditions imposed, including but not limited to a provision of no contact of any kind with the victim as well as no usage of drugs or alcohol.

“No person should ever be treated in the manner in which this victim was treated, much less by someone who claims to love her,” said Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace. “The physical and mental injuries this victim suffered were horrific, and we are proud of the role law enforcement and our office played in ending this nightmare for her. Our criminal justice system has succeeded here in protecting one of our most vulnerable victims from further harm.”

Need Help?

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, help is available. The Cherokee Family Violence Center assists families impacted by intimate partner violence through a crisis hot line, emergency shelter, transitional housing, support groups for children and teens, a multicultural program, and legal advocates. For more information, go to CFVC.org.

Emergency Hot Lines

24/7 Crisis Hot Line: 770-479-1703

En Español: 770-720-7050

Toll Free: 1-800-33-HAVEN (42836)

Nationwide: 1-800-621-HOPE (4673)