New Hanover high school football coach charged with assault

A New Hanover County man was recently charged with assault and assault with a deadly weapon after an apparent outburst of anger involving five high school football players. Authorities say that the assistant football coach at Hoggard High School struck some players in the head, grabbed at least one player by the neck and hit a wooden stick on a table to scare another player.

Assault and battery charges are very serious and can result in a variety of harsh punishments for a defendant. In addition to jail, prison or probation sentences, an assault conviction can also hurt a defendant’s employment and housing prospects. Assault charges are also a ground to revoke a parent’s custody of a child in certain cases, especially when a parent shares custody of a child after a divorce.

The high school assistant coach turned himself in after hearing about the warrants out for his arrest. The warrants were the result of a week-long investigation by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. The coach was released on bond and a no-contact order with the victims. No-contact orders are very common in assault and domestic violence cases. A no-contact or restraining order can impose hardships on a defendant if the defendant lives with the alleged assault or domestic violence victim.

It is unclear why the coach allegedly attacked the students or how this attack was reported. It is also unclear whether the coach has a history of similar outbursts.

Source: News-Observer, “New Hanover football coach accused of assault with a deadly weapon,” Mar. 15, 2012