Trial canceled after man admits slamming girlfriend’s head against a sink

A trial set for Feb. 23 was vacated after a Grass Valley man admitted he beat his girlfriend so severely she lost hearing.

Robert Francis Carr, 33, admitted Tuesday to one count of domestic battery with substantial bodily harm.

Carr admitted he slammed the woman’s head against a sink and caused damage to her eardrum on Aug. 8, 2021.

He is free on bail pending his April 25 sentence where he faces 1-6 years in prison.

Carr was warned not to have any contact with the woman, who is expected to provide a victim impact statement at his sentencing.

He is being represented by Justin Clouser.

• A jury reportedly took around an hour to convict a man of four drug felonies on Friday.

James David Hornibrook was found guilty of possession of methamphetamine for sale, two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of more than an ounce of marijuana, all felonies.

Hornibrook was represented by attorney Adam Spicer. Douglas County Deputy District Attorney Matt Johnson prosecuted the case.

According to court documents Hornibrook was arrested Jan. 19, 2021, with methamphetamine, LSD and enough marijuana to be charged with a felony.

Hornibrook has struggled with methamphetamine use throughout the intervening year, including testing positive within weeks of his arrest. Yet he has denied the possession charges choosing to go to trial.

Last month, Hornibrook told alternative sentencing that he’d been on a five-day methamphetamine binge and tried to turn himself in on Jan. 14. He was taken for a medical evaluation where it was determined that he had coronavirus.

Hornibrook appeared in Douglas County District Court on Feb. 1 for a motions hearing on his trial and was asked by the judge whether he’d test positive for methamphetamine.

After he said he would, he was jailed pending the three-day trial, which began on Wednesday.

He could face up to 16 years in prison if he receives concurrent time on each count. While simple possession cases typically require the sentence be suspended, that depends on the person’s record. It’s also possible he could receive probation at his April 16 sentencing.