State’s Attorney Glasgow Announces Darrius Brown Sentenced to Eight Years in Violent 2018 Beatings of Girlfriend
May 3, 2021
JOLIET – Will County Attorney State’s Attorney James Glasgow has announced that Darrius Brown, 40, of Plainfield was sentenced today to eight years in prison by Circuit Judge Carmen Goodman for violent attacks on his girlfriend spanning multiple days in 2018. The sentencing follows a bench trial that concluded on October 8, 2020, in which Goodman found Brown guilty of Aggravated Domestic Battery, a Class 2 Felony; Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon, also a Class 2 Felony; and Resisting a Police Officer, a Class A Misdemeanor.
The beatings occurred over approximately five days in February 2018, while Brown was living with Jamie Hollingsworth, his girlfriend, at her residence. During this time span, Hollingsworth’s children heard Brown beating and punching their mother repeatedly, and one child said he could hear her yelling “stop, stop you’re hurting me.” Brown refused to let the children intervene despite their attempts to help their mother. Finally, Brown ordered the oldest child to take her to the hospital but to say that he had found her in Chicago and that if he didn’t “stick to the story” he would end up just like her. Hollingsworth suffered brain damage and memory loss, required surgery to attempt to repair her vision from retinal detachment, had over 14 facial fractures, and suffered numerous other injuries from the beatings. Officers located .22 ammunition in the residence when executing a search warrant. Testimony of multiple witnesses, including the children, was that Brown, a convicted felon, possessed a number of firearms and ammunition.
“Previously convicted felon Darrius Brown callously brutalized Jamie Hollingsworth—beating her while the children in the household heard her crying for help and were not allowed to come to her aid,” Glasgow said. “The cruelty of this morally reprehensible predator and the impact of his violent conduct on this helpless woman and her children is unfathomable.”
Brown was sentenced to eight years on the Aggravated Domestic Battery count to be served at 85% pursuant to state statute, followed by two years mandatory supervised release; six years on Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon to be served at 50% pursuant to state statute, followed by two years mandatory supervised release; and 100 days for Resisting a Police Officer with credit for time served. Brown, who has been in custody since March 24, 2018, will receive 1,136 days credit for time served.
Glasgow praised Assistant State’s Attorneys Mark Fleszewski and Katie Rabenda, Victim Advocate Esther Borrego, as well as staff members Traci Knutson, Nancy Nelson, Jennifer Boyle, and Gus Martinucci, for their dedication and hard work throughout the course of the case.
# # #
