POCATELLO — A Pocatello man was sentenced Monday in Bannock County Court after he tried to strangle his girlfriend in April 2017.
Brandon Coker, 37, was sentenced to two years fixed and six years indeterminate but the judge retained jurisdiction and Coker will serve a rider.
A rider is a program in which an inmate is incarcerated in a therapeutic environment. Inmates are assessed to determine their individual needs and they receive intensive programming and education. After the rider, the judge determines whether the inmate should continue their sentence in prison.
According to the Pocatello Police report, his girlfriend says Coker tried to strangle her six or seven times in a 10 to 15 minute period. It caused her to black out several times.
When police arrived at the couple’s Pocatello home, the victim was trying to escape with two children.
Police discovered the victim had red marks on her neck and scrapes on her knee and foot.
Coker was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,375.