A Diamond Point man was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Feb. 21 for what Clallam County judge Simon Barnhart called a “savage beating” of a Clallam County woman.
After a three-day trial (Jan. 30-Feb. 1), jurors found Anthony Lawrence Lee, 32, guilty of two counts of assault in the second degree with firearm enhancements stemming from previous felony convictions, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree.
Barnhart ordered the 10-year (120 month) sentence on Feb. 21 — slightly less than the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office’s recommended 127-month sentence.
“(The sentence should) give Mr. Lee ample time to consider the rules of society and rules of the court,” Barnhart said at the sentencing.
“Frankly, I found the entire account (during trial) of that (October) night horrific.”
Lee was arrested following a standoff on Oct. 15, after he struck the victim in the head with a 9mm pistol inside his truck, and shot two rounds outside the truck into the air from the pistol, according to court documents.
At Lee’s home, a converted passenger bus, law enforcement shot one rubber bullet and gas into his home leading to his arrest, Clallam County Sheriff’s Sgt. Eric Munger said.
The victim sustained a temporary perforated eardrum, and was diagnosed at Olympic Medical Center with facial fractures, broken teeth and bruises, according to court documents.
Law enforcement reported that Lee picked up the victim on Oct. 13, 2022 from Point Casino in Kingston, and she stayed with Lee and his wife, according to court documents. The next day, Lee and the victim went to 7 Cedars Casino, later left, and returned around 3 a.m. the next morning, before Lee left the victim behind.
He returned to pick her up, and beat the victim with the pistol inside his truck at his residence, and then outside fired the gun telling her to get off his property, said Steven Johnson, Clallam County deputy prosecuting attorney.
The victim was discovered by Clallam County Sheriff’s Office deputy James Dixon on U.S. Highway 101, according to court documents, and during an investigation detective Brandon Stoppani later found two 9mm shell casings on Lee’s property.
Johnson said in an interview Lee and the victim were believed to be friends, and it’s unclear what prompted his anger towards the victim, according to documents.
Lee’s attorney Seth Doherty requested a stay of his imprisonment during appeal, but Barnhart denied it at sentencing.
Johnson said Lee had multiple failures to appear in court between multiple counties dating back to 2016.
A family member was allowed to speak on behalf of the victim as “she’s very traumatized by this whole thing,” the relative. She described the victim as a “loving and caring person” and is a “beautiful person inside and out” but hasn’t been the same since the incident and can’t look family members in the eye. The relative asked for the maximum penalty for Lee.
During sentencing, Lee chose not to comment.
After his release from prison, Lee will be required to complete 18 months of community custody, register as a felony firearm offender, not have any contact with the victim, and pay $40 a month starting 90 days after release towards $500 in court fees.
