BEAUMONT, Texas — A Southeast Texas man avoided a potential life sentence by pleading guilty at the last moment Tuesday morning.
Geraud Louis Boyd was set to stand trial Tuesday morning on an aggravated assault charge before a Jefferson County jury.
The second degree felony charge normally carries a sentence of from two to 20 years in prison if convicted.
However, because Boyd has a previous felony burglary conviction the punishment range jumps to five to 99 years, or life, in prison.
Just before the jury was to be brought in for his trial Tuesday morning in Jefferson County's Criminal District Court Boyd changed his plea to guilty.
He was then sentenced to 10 years probation as part of a plea deal.
Boyd assaulted his former girlfriend in March 2022.
The two were no longer dating, but still lived as roommates.
The victim told police that while she and Boyd were sitting on the couch, he received a phone call and left the apartment and returned a short time later.
Some time passed and she heard Boyd and a female having sex in their bedroom so she confronted them both and told them to leave, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Boyd became enraged and assaulted her by pushing her into the door several times, striking her and pushed her into a large floor speaker where she then fell to the floor.
The right side of her face hit the speaker.
As she lay on the floor, Boyd told her to stay there and went back into the bedroom and continued to have sex with the other woman, according to the affidavit.
The victim told police Boyd took the other woman home, came back and began to assault her again by pushing her into the wall and tried to pull the dialysis port out of her chest.
He pushed her to the floor and kicked her in her back and stomach.
She began shallow breathing and Boyd picked her up, elevated her feet and then made her something to eat and he went to bed, according to the affidavit.
The following morning, the victim went to her regular dialysis appointment and the staff referred her to the hospital when they saw the swelling to her eye.
They didn't know she had been attacked.
She remained in the hospital for a few days and over a week later, had to have her right eyeball completely removed as a result of the swelling and infection.
Prosecutor Mike Laird told 12News she eventually lost her other eye and is now completely blind due to complications related to diabetes and possibly the attack, but it is not known for sure if the loss of the second eye is due to the attack.
If Boyd violates any of the terms of his probation he could still face the original sentence of from five to 99 years, or life, in prison.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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