Cape man pleads guilty to assaulting pregnant girlfriend

Three days before his scheduled jury trial, Giles Triplett was sentenced to serve 120 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to second-degree domestic assault Monday before Circuit Court Judge Benjamin F. Lewis.

Triplett, 26, of Cape Girardeau was arrested Jan. 16 for choking his pregnant girlfriend at her residence.

The victim, 23, testified at a February preliminary hearing that Triplett choked her on numerous occasions. During one of the assaults, she said, he left a mark on the side of her neck.

Triplett was also charged in January with sexual assault for allegedly forcing the same victim to have sexual intercourse more than five times. The charge was dropped in an agreement that Triplett would plead guilty to the domestic assault charge.

"We felt probation was not appropriate because he did have prior assault convictions," said Morley Swingle, Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney.

Triplett was found guilty of third-degree assault in 2007 and served six months in jail. He was found guilty of the same charge in 2006.

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