Man sentenced to 40 years in brutal domestic violence case

A man accused in a brutal beating of his wife in 2018 pleaded guilty in Cherokee County Superior Court and was sentenced on Wednesday.

David Charles Kemp, 39, pleaded guilty to family violence aggravated assault, two counts of family violence aggravated battery, three counts of family violence battery, violation of protective order, and terroristic threats and acts.

Kemp was accused of beating his wife in their Acworth home in December 2018, causing a subdural hematoma, a broken nose, facial contusions and lacerations, and contusions on her extremities and her chest.

“This was one of the worst beatings I’ve ever seen in my years of prosecuting domestic violence cases. This assault likely happened over several days before the victim escaped. Due to the brain trauma, the victim still suffers memory loss. She is very lucky to be alive,” said Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ashe. “This is a classic example of how domestic violence often escalates. The defendant had assaulted his wife previously and each incident was more brutal than the last.”

During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors played a recorded phone call in which the defendant told the victim that she “owed him,” and then made veiled threats to hurt her again when he was released from custody.

In passing sentence, Judge Tony Baker called the case the worst case of domestic violence he had seen in which the victim survived. Baker told the victim that she deserved to be “treated like a queen,” and not in this brutal manner. For her protection, Baker included a condition of the defendant’s sentence to have no further contact with the victim.

Baker handed down a total sentence of 40 years with the first 25 years to be served in prison. Upon completion of the 25 years in custody, the remainder of the sentence will be served on probation with various specific conditions imposed, including but not limited to a provision of no contact of any kind with the victim as well as no usage of drugs or alcohol.

“No person should ever be treated in the manner in which this victim was treated, much less by someone who claims to love her,” said Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace. “The physical and mental injuries this victim suffered were horrific and we are proud of the role law enforcement and our office played in ending this nightmare for her. Our criminal justice system has succeeded here in protecting one of our most vulnerable victims from further harm.”

Need Help?

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, help is available. The Cherokee Family Violence Center assists families impacted by intimate partner violence through a crisis hotline, emergency shelter, transitional housing, support groups for children and teens, a multicultural program, and legal advocates. For more information, go to CFVC.org.

Emergency Hotlines:

♦ 24/7 Crisis Hotline: 770-479-1703;

♦ En Español: 770-720-7050;

♦ Toll Free: 1-800-33-HAVEN (42836); and

♦ Nationwide: 1-800-621-HOPE (4673).