A 37-year-old Kailua-Kona man arrested in late April after a police chase following an alleged violent domestic incident in the Hilo Walmart parking lot was sentenced Nov. 30 to four years of probation by Hilo Circuit Judge Henry Nakamoto.
In a deal with prosecutors, Grant Andrew Marshall pleaded no contest Nov. 18 to felony domestic abuse, first-degree unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle, and first-degree resisting an order to stop, all Class C felonies punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
In exchange for his pleas, charges of kidnapping, first-degree robbery, another domestic abuse charge, reckless driving, and driving after his license was suspended for DUI were dropped.
If convicted of the kidnapping and first-degree robbery charges, Marshall could’ve faced a prison term of up to 20 years.
While no weapon was alleged in the robbery, the incident was classified as first-degree robbery under emergency orders due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
According to court documents filed by police, shortly before 9 a.m. April 26, Marshall’s 40-year-old girlfriend said she and Marshall were arguing in her 2007 Chevrolet van in the Hilo Walmart parking lot.
She reportedly told police Marshall grabbed her, forcibly took the key to the van from her hand, and squeezed her body, causing severe pain to her ribs. He allegedly then got on top of her to restrain her.
Documents state two witnesses told officers the woman yelled, “Somebody help me! He’s trying to kill me!”
Marshall then allegedly started up the van, left the parking lot, and drove toward Hilo International Airport while the woman unsuccessfully pleaded for him to stop the van.
An officer saw the woman try to escape the van and turned on his blue lights, documents state.
A pursuit ensued in which the van crossed a double-solid yellow line on Leilani Street, drove past two stopped vehicles at a red light on Kanoelehua Avenue, and turned into the opposite lane of traffic, according to documents.
Marshall then turned onto Airport Road, where police say he again drove recklessly in the opposite lane of traffic, putting other drivers and pedestrians in danger at the pickup/dropoff area of the airport’s terminal before being stopped.
According to documents, Marshall has prior felony convictions in Oregon, but the charges weren’t specified.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
