Pocatello man sent to prison for 2021 shovel attack
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POCATELLO — A man who attacked his neighbor with a shovel in 2021 has been ordered to spend a minimum of five years in prison.
After reaching a plea agreement with the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office, 49-year-old Douglas Eric Simmons pleaded guilty to felony burglary. In exchange, a felony for aggravated battery as well as a deadly weapon enhancement were each dismissed.
At a sentencing hearing Monday, District Judge Rick Carnaroli sent Simmons to prison for five to 10 years, court records show.
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Simmons was arrested in July 2021 after Pocatello police received a call reporting the attack.
The victim told police she had been paying Simmons for yard work but had recently informed him she no longer needed his services. She said that Simmons was upset with the decision and began harassing her.
On the night of July 21, the victim received a text message from Simmons saying he was heading to her home to kill her and anyone else who stood in his way. A short time later, the woman said, she heard a noise in her front yard and looked out the window to see Simmons digging up her plants with a shovel.
She said he then used the shovel to break into her home. Once inside, he hit her with the shovel, leaving what police described as a “large bump” on her left shoulder.
Simmons was charged with burglary, for breaking into the home, and aggravated battery along with a deadly weapon enhancement.
In addition to the prison sentence, Simmons was ordered to pay $1,495.50 in fees and fines, and $21,685.93 in restitution.
He was remanded to the custody of the Idaho Department of Corrections following the hearing.