BY DONNIE JOHNSTON

THE FREE LANCE-STAR

A 19-year-old Coffeewood Juvenile Correction Center inmate will serve 28 years in prison for punching a teacher, then throwing a sink faucet that hit him on the head last spring.

Circuit Court Judge Susan Whitlock gave 50 years in prison to William Lamar Ballard but suspended 22 years of the sentence, leaving 28 years for the Hampton man to serve.

The injuries from the March 7 incident left plumbing instructor David Cornett with permanent injuries including a scar on the left side of his face, chronic head-aches, memory loss, dizziness and sleep deprivation.

Cornett was forced to leave his teaching job at Coffeewood because of the attack because he is unable to drive, according to Culpeper County Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Dale Durrer, who prosecuted the case.

Culpeper Commonwealth's Attorney Megan Frederick said, "My office asked for an active period of incarceration at the high end of the guidelines because of the tremendous impact of the crime on the victim and because of the importance of maintaining order in our correctional facilities.

"Any aggressive, violent behavior toward our teachers and correctional officers will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law," she said.

Donnie Johnston:
Email: djohnston@freelancestar.com