PTSD Marine who beat wife unconscious in front of judge gets 15 years

Marine who beat wife unconscious in front of judge after being ordered to pay child support at divorce proceeding gets 15 years behind bars

Paul Gonzalez, 29, flew into a rage in judge's chambers in April 2011
Left his wife with a broken nose, fractured jaw and concussion
Judge branded his actions 'an outrage' and gave him maximum penalty
By LYDIA WARREN
4th March 2012


A former Marine who savagely beat his wife in front of a judge after he was ordered to pay child maintenance at a divorce hearing has received the maximum sentence of 15 years behind bars.

Paul Gonzalez, 29, had to be subdued by a Taser when he flew into a rage at Catherine Scott, who suffered a broken nose, a fractured jaw, concussion and severe bruising to her face.

At the sentencing on Friday, Judge Geoffrey Cohen ignored Gonzalez's apologies, branding his actions in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida hearing 'an outrage'.

'It was in a court of law where people for hundreds of years have been coming to peaceably resolve their disputes where people have an expectation of safety — certainly where your former wife thought she would be safe,' Cohen said.

'You chose it as a place to viciously assault her.'

In February, Gonzalez pleaded 'no contest' to charges of beating his ex-wife in April 2011.
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