FARMINGTON — A local man has been sentenced to six years in prison for attempting to strangle a woman and threatening to kill her in September 2023, according to Farmington court documents.

Richard Simpson Franklin County Detention Center photo

Richard D. Simpson, 38, of Farmington entered guilty pleas to felony charges of domestic violence aggravated assault, domestic violence assault and domestic violence threatening at a Farmington court.

The Alford pleas mean he doesn’t admit to the criminal conduct but agreed that a jury could find him guilty based on the evidence prosecutors could present at trial.

A felony charge of gross sexual assault and misdemeanor charges of domestic violence assault, domestic violence criminal threatening and obstructing a report of a crime were dismissed in a plea agreement.

According to the victim’s statement filed in court, she wrote that Simpson, who she claimed was abusing body-building steroids and a seizure medication, were arguing at a Farmington home because she was leaving him. He hit her multiple times, and attempted to strangled and suffocated her, she said. He took her cellphone and her car keys and forced her to have sex. She escaped and went to Hannaford in Turner where she met her parents. They brought her to a Farmington hospital for treatment and to speak with police. She had a bad concussion and several bruises all over her body, according to the statement.

Farmington police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance Sept. 19, 2023, at an apartment complex. Simpson told police the woman had assaulted him. When police asked the woman about the injuries Simpson had, she told them he had scratched himself with a knife and told her that he was going to kill himself. He also allegedly banged his head against the wall. Simpson also allegedly forced her to make a video, falsely admitting to assaulting him to protect him from being charged with a crime, according to a court document.

Simpson was sentenced Feb. 3 to six years in prison on the domestic violence aggravated assault charge. He was also sentenced to five years each on the other two domestic violence charges. Those sentences will be served at the same time as the six-year sentence.

A conviction on the aggravated assault charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the other charges each carried penalties of up to five years each in prison.

The Sun Journal does not name the victims of domestic violence assault.

A message left on defense attorney Jennifer Cohen’s voicemail requesting comment was not immediately returned.