Gunther gets 4 years for attack on ex-girlfriend

YOUNGSTOWN

A 49-year-old Thornton Avenue man has been sentenced to four years in prison for felonious assault on his former live-in girlfriend.

Owen Gunther drew the sentence from Judge Lou A. D’Apolito of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court earlier this week after pleading guilty to assaulting his girlfriend in their residence between Jan. 11 and 17.

Gunther’s decision to plead guilty came as a detective was on the witness stand for the prosecution during Gunther’s jury trial, and the prosecution was preparing to play Gunther’s video confession to the crime, said Shawn Burns, an assistant county prosecutor.

At that point, Gunther also became aware that the victim had arrived in the courthouse, Burns added.

Burns said he had sufficient evidence to prove the felonious-assault charge, but was forced to dismiss two counts of kidnapping before the trial because prosecutors were unable to find the victim before the trial.

The victim told police she and Gunther argued, and he punched and kicked her until she passed out.

When she woke up, he tied a rope around her neck until she passed out again, the police report said.

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