Felon sentenced for assaulting local woman, threatening her with gun
A felon on parole arrested earlier this year after assaulting a woman, threatening to shoot her and pouring gasoline on her car was sentenced to two years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty in Garland County Circuit Court.
Fredrick Lashant Nichols, 34, of Hot Springs, pleaded guilty to felony counts of aggravated assault and first-degree terroristic threatening, each punishable by up to six years in prison, and was sentenced to two years and ordered to pay $190 in court costs upon his release. A court order barring him from future contact with the victim was also issued.
His wife, Whitney Yvette Nichols, 31, who was arrested at the same time on a misdemeanor count of third-degree battery involving the same victim is set for trial on the charge in Garland County District Court on Jan. 14, 2021.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on May 10, around 11:30 p. m., Hot Springs police Officer Richard Davis responded to 516 Linwood regarding a battery and made contact with Fredrick Nichols who was “very uncooperative” and
refused to speak to him.
Davis noted Nichols had a laceration to the top of his head as he approached him, but then Nichols turned and went inside his residence without answering any questions.
Davis met with the victim at Linwood and South streets and she stated she had gone to the Linwood Street residence with her girlfriend for a cookout. She said she and her girlfriend got into an argument and Fredrick Nichols “got involved.” She said he grabbed her and began choking her, restricting her breathing.
As she was trying to get away from him, she states she hit him in the forehead, causing a small cut. At that point, Whitney Nichols started hitting her in the face.
She said she was able to make it to her vehicle at which point Fredrick Nichols told her he had a gun and was going to shoot her. She said he then started pouring gasoline on her blue 2016 Lexus. As she tried to drive away, she hit an unknown object with the front and back of her car, causing $6,000 in damages.
Davis noted the woman had scratch marks on her neck and shoulder where it appeared she had been choked. He also noted her car “had a very strong odor of gasoline coming from the exterior.”
Officers returned to the residence where Fredrick Nichols was still initially refusing to come out. After a few minutes, he surrendered and was taken into custody along with his wife. Fredrick was released later that day on a $5,000 bond and his wife was released on a $ 1,000 bond. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in circuit court on Sept. 1.
According to court records, Fredrick Nichols was previously convicted of first-degree domestic battery on March 14, 2017, in circuit court and sentenced to six years in prison, but was later paroled.