COBB COUNTY, Ga. — It only took a jury one hour to convict a Carrollton man accused of strangling the mother of his child.
Now, Derek James Burns, 29, will spend 20 years in prison after being found guilty aggravated assault-strangulation, false imprisonment, simple battery and simple assault.
Prosecutors said it was on April 19 last year when Burns and the woman got into an argument. It escalated to the point that Burns reportedly grabbed her from behind and put her in a chokehold - to the point that she lost consciousness.
When she came to, the woman said she realized she had been dragged to the corner, where Burns reportedly told her not to lift her head until after he left, or he would shoot her and “make it look like a suicide.”
During the trial, prosecutors said Burns "displayed a smug demeanor" and laughed at several points throughout the week-long trial.
After the jury returned their guilty verdict, Superior Court Senior Judge Adele Grubbs reportedly told Burns he is "vicious and harmful," and sentenced him to 22 years. He will serve 20 of those years in custody with the rest on probation.
Burns has remained in custody since April 2018 and will get credit for the time he has served.
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