By Joe Johnson
An Athens judge recently granted bail to a man who was arrested for reportedly strangling his former girlfriend while she was in a hospital bed.
Nahjay Rashaun Bradley, 25, was charged by police with aggravated assault by strangulation and aggravated battery, and hours later was released from custody after a Magistrate Court judge granted him bail.
According to police, the incident for which Bradley was arrested occurred the night of April 18 at Piedmont Athens Regional, where his ex-girlfriend was in a bed with the couple’s infant son.
The woman indicated that through a third party she had contacted her ex concerning a “situation” with their child, and as she was watching a video on her phone she angled it away from Bradley, who then accused her of talking to other men and grabbed the device with one hand and choked her with the other, according to police.
The alleged victim reportedly said she was unable to breathe, and that Bradley threatened to kill her. After the alleged assault, a security guard took photographs of red marks on the woman’s neck, police said, adding that witnesses told of hearing the woman say “stop” multiple times as they saw Bradley standing next to her bed.
She told the officer that Bradley had been violent when they lived together and had threatened her with guns that he owned, police said.
Bradley had left the hospital prior to the arrival of an officer, police said, and he was later found asleep on the back porch of his apartment on Westpark Drive, where evidence that he had been drinking was observed.
The Clarke County Jail’s website indicated that Bradley was booked into custody at 12:25 a.m. on April 19 and released 10 hours later upon posting bonds to cover the $10,000 bail that the judge had granted. The judge’s name was not indicated.
Anyone who is in an abusive relationship can seek advice and services by calling Project Safe’s 24-hour hotline at (706) 543-3331, or by visiting http://www.project-safe.org.
It is unfortunate that we have no means to hold DAs and judges accountable for the consequences of their clearly stupid decisions that defy common sense.
Also had similar charges in 2018-2020. He had some sort of domestic violence training which helped him get out of those charges. (Athens-Clarke clerk of court)
I guess he needs a refresher course.
That’s a GOOD THING! After ALL… everyone is presumed innocent, until they are found guilty! And we wouldn’t want to put any financial burden on this poor young man by incarcerating him, and potentially losing his gainful employment that I’m sure he has, by forcing him to unjustly stay in confinement! I love it when the system works in this way, when it’s designed to protect the potentially innocent like this fine upstanding young man.