STARKE—A 45-year-old Bradford County man was sentenced to 180 days in jail after pleading to using his foot to choke a woman and later pointing a handgun at the vehicle she was in and punching her in the face.
Judge James M. Colaw adjudicated Seth Micah Norviel guilty on January 16 and sentenced him to two years’ drug offender probation in addition to the jail time, crediting the defendant for 152 days served.
Norviel pleaded to evidence tampering, domestic battery, felony domestic battery by strangulation, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, and a pretrial release violation.
According to a June 23, 2023, arrest report, one victim told deputies that two nights prior, she and the defendant were in bed when they got into an argument. The woman claimed that during the dispute, Norviel stood up, grabbed the headboard, and put a foot on her throat, preventing her from breathing.
On the date of the arrest report, a second woman said she drove Norviel’s partner to the couple’s home to drop a dog off, and while the two were parked in the front yard, she saw a green dot on her vehicle and her person.
“(The victim) stated she observed a figure in the living room where the green dot was originating,” wrote Deputy Paul King, who added that Norviel denied pointing a weapon at the driver of the vehicle and denied putting his foot on his partner’s throat two days prior.
King said that Norviel appeared intoxicated, and that King found marijuana plants inside a shipping container in the defendant’s backyard. A detective later found a .40-caliber handgun in the shipping container with a green dot scope on it.
According to a September 2, 2023, arrest report, the victim’s former partner told Bradford deputies she allowed the defendant to come to her residence after they spent time together at a friend’s house earlier in the day.
“(The victim) stated when they got home, Seth accused her of wanting to sleep with another man,” wrote King in the report. “The accusation escalated into a verbal argument. During the argument, Seth became irate and began punching (the victim) in the face, causing her injuries.”
King added that he observed scratches, swelling, and bruising on the woman’s face, especially under her left eye.
“(The victim’s) nose also appeared to be disjointed,” he reported.
King wrote that, according to the victim, she called 911 during the attack, and while she was on the phone, Norviel took the phone from her and hid it. Deputies later found the device under a mattress. When King first arrived at the residence, he spotted Norviel in a hallway through a glass in the door and saw the defendant run into a bedroom. The victim said Norviel made her hide in a closet because of a no-contact order the court had previously issued.
