Police blotter

Man gets jail time for slashing officer

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A Grovetown man deemed guilty but mentally ill in a 2005 attack on a Grovetown public safety officer was sentenced to prison Thursday.

Billy Charles Pate, 45, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Neal Dickert to five years in prison, with credit for nearly two years he has already spent in custody. The prison term is to be followed by 20 years on probation with supervised treatment for bipolar disorder.

A mental evaluation determined that Pate suffers from bipolar disorder with psychotic features and was delusional at the time of the attack.

Police say Pate, of the 100 block of Chinook Circle, confronted Officer Robert Eastman at Eastman's home June 21, 2005, about a "domestic situation." The next day, Pate used his van to ram Eastman's personal vehicle and attack him with a small-bladed knife. Eastman sustained severe cuts to his upper body and neck. He recovered and returned to work two months later.

At a January bench trial, Pate was found guilty but mentally ill of burglary, four counts of aggravated assault, stalking, possession of a knife during the commission of a crime, interference with government property and nine misdemeanor charges.

The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office:

Principal reports theft of money

The principal of a Martinez private school called deputies Monday to report that someone had taken nearly $1,000 from the school office during spring break.

She said Monday that when she returned from the break, she noticed that $980 was missing from inside the main office of Augusta Christian Schools at 313 Baston Road. The principal said $900 was taken from money bags inside a locked desk, which was damaged from being pried open.

An additional $80 was missing from a file cabinet drawer in the file room. The principal told deputies the doors to the office and file room were locked before she left the school March 30 and were locked when she returned Monday. The doors showed no signs of forced entry.

The principal said there have been several similar incidents in the past that were not reported.

Man arrested on shoplifting charges

A Warrenville man was arrested Monday after being accused of shoplifting steaks from an Evans grocery store.

Charles Edward Plaster, 46, of the 300 block of Piney Heights Road, was being held in the Columbia County Detention Center on Friday on a $1,100 bond and for a Richmond County probation violation, according to jail personnel.

A meat clerk at the Kroger store at 4355 Washington Road told police that at about 4 p.m. he saw Plaster put several twin packs of ribeye steaks under his shirt and tuck his shirt in. The clerk said Plaster purchased two other items and tried to leave.

The clerk stopped Plaster, who admitted having the steaks under his shirt, the sheriff's office incident report stated.