Two high-profile cases came before Judge Shayne Sexton last week during Claiborne Criminal Court.
William Quinton Littrell, 35, pled guilty to the Nov. 6, 2014, vehicular homicide of a passenger of his Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Littrell apparently lost control of his vehicle while traveling along North Broad Street in Tazewell. The Jeep wound up, according to Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper Jeremy Shelton, upside down, resulting in the death of Ashlee Noah.
Trooper Shelton states in his citation that Littrell was “very unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred and he appeared to be drowsy.”
While still at the scene, Shelton states in his report that he observed Littrell “nodding off several times and even drooled on himself,” causing the trooper to suspect impairment due to alcohol and/or drugs.
Littrell was initially charged with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence. Under his plea agreement, his sentence was reduced to the one count of vehicular homicide. Littrell was sentenced to a split confinement of ten years TDOC supervised probation with one year jail time. He was given credit for eight days of confinement served prior to the hearing.
As a condition of his probationary status Littrell, whose home is in Ewing, Virginia, agreed to remain in Tennessee during the first two years following his split confinement. After that time, he may request transfer of his supervision to his home state.
Littrell must pay at least $150 per month in court costs beginning upon his release from jail. He must also submit to either weekly drug screenings or wear a drug patch. He is barred from contact with members of his victim’s family. His driver’s license is revoked for five years.
The second case involves the apparent terrorism on Sept. 6 of an entire family by hatchet and knife.
William James Allen, 23, pled guilty last week to the reduced charges of kidnapping and aggravated assault.
In his Affidavit of Complaint, Tazewell Police Sgt. Shawn Goode listed the initial charges of aggravated domestic assault, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, three counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, two counts of reckless endangerment and one count each of vandalism under $500 and resisting stop, halt, arrest and frisk.
In the affidavit, Sgt. Goode states he came face to face with the hatchet-wielding Allen inside the residence. When ordered to drop the weapon, Allen refused and even raised the hatchet higher, Goode states in the report.
The suspect was eventually persuaded to drop the hatchet and knife and to get down on the ground.
“(Allen) got on the ground but then started yelling at me to just kill him,” reads the affidavit.
Round two of the altercation apparently began when Goode attempted to handcuff Allen, who was eventually subdued by a jolt from the Sergeant’s taser.
Goode states in his report that he found evidence at the scene to suggest aggravated domestic assault of Allen’s wife, who was allegedly punched in the face and mouth and kicked numerous times in the head, all while holding her son.
During the episode, the couple’s seven-month-old child was allegedly nearby, on the floor, according to the affidavit.
In an addendum to the affidavit, Goode further details the incident, stating Allen had intentionally cut his wife’s arm with the knife and threatened to kill her and himself.
“The defendant did knowingly and recklessly engage in conduct that placed both children in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury. The defendant then committed the offense of especially aggravated kidnapping when he forced the victim and their two children against their will into their vehicle while displaying the deadly weapon and making statements to the victim that they had no choice,” the addendum states.
Goode says in the detailed addendum that the wife told him Allen was intoxicated and driving recklessly while speeding to his destination, which was a beer store.
Upon return to the residence, the addendum states, Allen proceeded to stab and chop up the television set with the knife and hatchet.
Allen was sentenced to a split confinement of ten years TDOC probation with one year confinement. He was given credit for 57 days of jail time served prior to his hearing.
Upon release from jail, Allen must pay at least $100 per month in court costs and wear a SCRAM device. He is barred from any contact with his wife.
Reach Jan Runions at 423-254-5588 or on Twitter @scribeCP.
