Nwigwe

HOLLIDAYSBURG — A city man who whipped a woman with a belt before using it to strangle her was sentenced Tuesday to five- to 10-years’ incarceration in a state correctional institution.

Chigemezu Nnachetam Nwigwe, 26, accepted the deal offered by the Blair County District Attorney’s Office during what was meant to be the first day of his scheduled trial by court.

Nwigwe pleaded guilty to all charges across the two separate but related cases against him as a part of the plea, including two felony counts each of aggravated assault and strangulation, two misdemeanor counts of simple assault and two summary counts of harassment.

The charges stem from the victim’s mother reporting the victim missing and possibly in danger. She said the victim called her on Dec. 29, 2024, and asked for her spare keys because Nwigwe had taken them so she couldn’t leave. When the victim’s mother went to Nwigwe’s residence along the 2000 block of First Avenue, she noted bruises on the victim’s neck, arms and legs, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Officers went to Nwigwe’s residence looking for the victim but didn’t receive an answer. They then obtained a search warrant for the building and located the victim in the attic. While officers gave her a ride home, the victim told them about a domestic incident that occurred on Dec. 29, 2024. The victim said she and Nwigwe were arguing in the residence’s garage when Nwigwe began “throwing” her around, the police report states.

Nwigwe then took the victim upstairs, where he used a belt to whip her. He also used the belt to strangle her, before switching to using his hands “long enough for my vision to darken.” The victim told officers that Nwigwe threatened to kill her and she thought she was going to have to kill him or be killed, according to the affidavit.

During the proceedings, the victim told presiding Judge Jackie Atherton Bernard that she was “absolutely” in agreement with the plea.

“At the end of the day, what he did wasn’t right,” the victim said. “But everyone has the chance to change.”

Bernard said her current concern “is that these are very violent acts committed against someone (Nwigwe) was purported to care about.”

“These are very serious circumstances you were placed into,” Bernard said.

The victim told Bernard that she didn’t have “any real concern” about Nwigwe reoffending after leaving prison.

“Sometimes people get mad and do things they don’t mean,” the victim said. “I totally forgive him for it and hope he changes.”

Bernard then asked the victim about jailhouse calls that Nwigwe had made to her, in which he encouraged the victim to not cooperate when his cases went to trial.

The victim confirmed that Nwigwe asked her “to try to get him out at the beginning and I did try.” She said she wrote a letter, had it notarized and sent it to Nwigwe’s defense attorney William Wigman, but “nothing happened.”

Bernard further questioned the victim on if Nwigwe’s actions had affected her decision to agree with Nwigwe being offered a plea deal. The victim said no.

Bernard then addressed Nwigwe, asking him for his prior criminal record, to which Nwigwe said “it’s a lot.”

Bernard told Nwigwe that he needed to recognize that no one deserved to be hurt by him and that she didn’t want him to leave prison “more brutal” than he was before.

“There is absolutely no excuse for the behavior I’m reading about in these files,” Bernard said. “You have an opportunity to be different.”

When given the opportunity to speak, Nwigwe apologized to the victim, saying it “won’t do much but it’s all I have.”

He then told Bernard he regretted his actions and that “this is probably the worst thing I’ve ever done.”

“I’ve done some horrible things,” Nwigwe said. “I can’t blame it on mental health.”

In addition to sentencing Nwigwe to five to 10 years’ incarceration, Bernard ordered him to pay the cost of prosecution, pay $400 in fines, complete a domestic batterers program with anger management, undergo cognitive behavioral therapy and have no contact with the victim.

Nwigwe was also credited for time served. Online court documents show that he has been in custody at the Blair County Prison since Jan. 5, 2025, in lieu of $200,000 bail.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.