A Franklin man facing assault charges after a domestic dispute last week waived his preliminary hearing in the case Wednesday in Venango County Central Court.
Charges of unlawful restraint/serious bodily injury, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment against 32-year-old Richard Perrine III will now be bound over for further proceedings in the Court of Common Pleas.
Perrine was charged by Franklin police on Nov. 10 after an incident at a home on Grant Street.
A criminal complaint filed through District Judge Patrick Lowrey’s office said patrolman Kenneth Scott responded to the home to investigate claims in text messages that Perrine hit his wife and smashed her head on the ground.
The messages also said that Perrine choked his wife with his shirt, according to the complaint.
After arriving on the scene, Scott learned from Perrine’s wife that the allegations were true, and she was afraid to make a report because she didn’t want to upset Perrine, the complaint said.
Perrine’s wife said she was very sore and had bruises, the complaint said.
Two children, who were home at the time of the assault, said they saw Perrine and his wife fighting when they returned home from school, the complaint said.
They said they went upstairs, and one of the children said he sat in his room waiting for the fighting to stop, the complaint said.
