New Church man pleads guilty to assault and battery

By Linda Cicoira

A New Church man, who was indicted on two counts of malicious wounding, pleaded guilty Thursday in Accomack Circuit Court to assault and battery.

The victim, Valerie Cannon, of Salisbury, Md., refused to testify against sixty-three-year-old Leon W. Morris, of R.J. Drive.  Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Baker made a plea bargain agreement with Morris. In exchange for Morris pleading guilty, Baker dropped one wounding charge and amended the other to the Class 1 misdemeanor.

Judge W. Revell Lewis III sentenced Morris to 12 months in jail with all but time served suspended. The defendant had been incarcerated since the incident occurred on Nov. 5.

“It was a terrible mistake,” Morris admitted. We’ve “been together 17 years. She punched me in the back of the head. She gets jealous about other women,” he said. Morris admitted he then “put his hands on her” and she fell to the floor. Both had been drinking. “I haven’t been in trouble for 20 years,” Morris said.

Judge suggested he go to Alcoholic Anonymous meetings to stay sober. Morris said he was thinking about that and stopping smoking. “I’m going to go to church every Sunday,” He added. Lewis encouraged him to do so and possibly to help other people in the community.

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