An Augusta man convicted of brutally assaulting and kidnapping his romantic partner will spend the rest of his life in prison.
A Richmond County jury found Jameel Hakim Thompson Sr., 45, guilty this week of kidnapping with bodily injury, home invasion, hijacking a motor vehicle, aggravated battery-family violence and aggravated assault-family violence.
Prosecutors said Thompson brutally beat and shot the victim during separate attacks in 2021 and 2022 then remained on the run until his arrest in 2023.
In the first incident, Thompson broke her orbital bone. In 2022 he dragged her into a home, beat her then shot her in the shoulder, shattering her clavicle. Despite the attacks, the victim stayed romantically involved with Thompson.
“This is a cycle of violence that needs to end,” Assistant District Attorney Jeff Johnston said during closing arguments, according to a statement from Augusta Circuit District Attorney Jared Williams.
The jury found Thompson guilty on all counts. Because of filings by the DA’s office, the court imposed the maximum penalty allowed by law, life without the possibility of parole.
“This defendant thought he was tough when he beat and brutalized this woman. He will find out quickly he’s not tougher than a life sentence,” Williams said.
