Joshua Norton Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
FARMINGTON — A Farmington man was found guilty Monday at Franklin County Superior Court of ramming his ex-girlfriend’s SUV several times and damaging another vehicle last December at Walmart.
Joshua Norton, 40, pleaded no contest to five felony charges: two counts of domestic violence reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon-vehicle, two counts of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon-vehicle and one count of aggravated criminal mischief.
He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of failing to stop for an officer and driving to endanger.
A no contest plea means the court will find a defendant guilty, according to Justice Joyce Wheeler.
Deputy District Attorney James Andrews said the woman’s SUV was stopped Dec. 16 at a traffic light near Walmart when Norton pulled in front of it and rammed his Dodge minivan into the passenger side three times, where her passenger, identified as her “new domestic partner,” was sitting.
Norton then left the scene in his van, and the woman called 911.
Later in the day, Farmington police located Norton’s van on Franklin Avenue and tried to pull it over, according to Andrews. Norton drove back to Walmart’s parking lot with police in pursuit and got into position to ram the ex-girlfriend’s SUV again. The woman drove around the parking lot several times to try to avoid being hit while police were trying to stop Norton.
Farmington police previously said Norton drove “extremely erratically” around the parking lot as he was chasing the woman with his minivan. After striking the ex-girlfriend’s vehicle once more, Norton lost control of his van and crashed into a snowbank, according to police. Norton then surrendered.
Police said the damage to the SUV was well in excess of $2,000. They also said the tires on the car belonging to the woman’s new domestic partner had also been slashed.
Norton’s lawyer, Jeffrey Wilson, said while Norton agrees with all the allegations, it was his understanding at the time that he was the woman’s current domestic partner.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Wednesday at Franklin County Superior Court. The recommended sentence for the domestic violence charges is eight years, with all but four years suspended followed by three years probation, which would be served at the same time, Andrews said.
For the reckless conduct and aggravated criminal mischief, the sentencing recommendation for each is three years fully suspended and two years of probation. Those sentences would run concurrently but consecutive to the domestic violence sentence.
Norton would serve two years of probation after the first three years in the domestic violence sentence, according to Andrews.
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