Man charged in alleged years-long spouse abuse

By SCOTT NORTH

Herald Writer

An Everett man was charged with two felonies Monday for allegedly abusing his wife for years, leaving her with injuries that in mid-September required surgery to stop bleeding on her brain.

Jay Robert Smith, 35, was being sought by Everett police on an arrest warrant carrying $150,000 cash-only bail, according to documents filed in Snohomish County Superior Court.

Smith and his wife, 32, have been married nearly six years. During that time, he has developed a "lengthy history of beating his wife," including two prosecutions in Island County for domestic violence, deputy prosecutor Paul Stern alleges in court papers.

Smith’s wife on Sept. 15 was taken to an area hospital with bleeding inside her head. Surgery was required to drain the blood and release pressure on her brain, Stern said.

The woman told medical workers and detectives that she’d been beaten by her husband, the prosecutor alleged.

"My husband Jay gets mad if I don’t clean the house right … he pushes me and hits me," the prosecutor quoted the woman.

Smith was first charged with assaulting his wife in November 1996 when they lived on Camano Island. He was acquitted.

In May 1997, Smith filed for divorce. Within days, Island County deputies were again called to the couple’s home. He was arrested for investigation of assault after the woman reported being hit on the head, back and buttocks with a baseball bat, Stern wrote.

One of the deputies who handled the call that night wrote Smith’s wife "appears to be completely spiritually broken and has apparently resigned herself to a life of abuse and dominance by her husband."

Smith pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and was sentenced to a $200 fine and domestic violence counseling. Court papers show he completed the counseling in March 1999. The divorce case was dropped for lack of action by either party.

Smith has a daughter, 10, and son, 13, both born in a previous marriage. The children live with their father and stepmother, and both allegedly have told police about the man either hitting his wife or dragging her around the home by her hair, according to court papers.

Smith’s wife’s "medical condition is compromised by the fact that she has overindulged on alcohol for years," Stern wrote. "She has been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and suffers from substantial liver disease."

When hospitalized for her September injuries, the woman told a nurse "I drink too much so I get numb," according to court papers.

Smith was arrested and initially charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree assault after the alleged September assault. He posted $5,000 bail.

Everett police continued to investigate and charges were upgraded based on what detectives learned regarding the seriousness of the woman’s injuries and alleged pattern of abuse, said Jim Townsend, the county’s chief criminal deputy prosecutor.

Smith is now charged with two counts of second-degree assault. One count alleges he intentionally harmed his wife on Sept. 15. The other count alleges abuse from November 1996 through September 2000, "which by design caused such pain and agony as to be the equivalent of that produced by torture."

Second-degree assault carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Talk to us

More in Local News

Marysville firefighters respond to a 12-year-old boy who fell down a well Tuesday May 30, 2023 in Marysville, Washington. (Photo provided by Marysville Fire District)
Marysville firefighters save boy who fell 20 feet into well

The 12-year-old child held himself up by grabbing on to a plastic pipe while firefighters worked to save him.

Highway 9 is set to be closed in both directions for a week as construction crews build a roundabout at the intersection with Vernon Road. (Washington State Department of Transportation)
Weeklong closure coming to Highway 9 section in Lake Stevens

Travelers should expect delays or find another way from Friday to Thursday between Highway 204 and Lundeen Parkway.

Students arriving off the bus get in line to score some waffles during a free pancake and waffle breakfast at Lowell Elementary School on Friday, May 26, 2023, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
800 free pancakes at Everett’s Lowell Elementary feed the masses

The annual breakfast was started to connect the community and the school, as well as to get people to interact.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring speaks at the groundbreaking event for the I-5/SR 529 Interchange project on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 in Marysville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
$123M project starting on Highway 529 interchange, I-5 HOV lane

A reader wondered why the highway had a lane closure despite not seeing work done. Crews were waiting on the weather.

Justin Bell was convicted earlier this month of first-degree assault for a December 2017 shooting outside a Value Village in Everett. (Caleb Hutton / Herald file)
Court: Snohomish County jurors’ opaque masks didn’t taint verdict

During the pandemic, Justin Bell, 32, went on trial for a shooting. Bell claims his right to an impartial jury was violated.

Gary Fontes uprights a tree that fell over in front of The Fontes Manor — a miniature handmade bed and breakfast — on Friday, May 12, 2023, at his home near Silver Lake in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett’s mini-Frank Lloyd Wright builds neighborhood of extra tiny homes

A tiny lighthouse, a spooky mansion and more: Gary Fontes’ miniature world of architectural wonders is one-twelfth the size of real life.

Will Steffener
Inslee appoints Steffener as Superior Court judge

Attorney Will Steffener will replace Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Janice Ellis, who is retiring in June.

News logo for use with stories about Mill Creek in Snohomish County, WA.
Police: Mill Creek man fatally stabbed wife amid financial woes

After quitting his job at Amazon, the man amassed about $50,000 in debt, triggering a discussion about finances, he told police.

Outside of the current Evergreen Recovery Centers' housing to treat opioid-dependent moms with their kids on Thursday, May 25, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
$8M in behavioral health grants to benefit children, youth, families

Snohomish County awarded one-time federal funding to five projects that will reach at least 440 new people each year.

Most Read