WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS POSTED BELOW
A scion of a prominent Mississippi oil family faces prison after pleading guilty to brutally beating his wife. The Columbus Packet reported:
Almost four years after he brutally bashed his then-wife against a wall, splitting open her head, a wealthy Waynesboro, Miss., man could be going to prison.
Brian Clark pleaded guilty May 16 in Lowndes County Circuit Court to aggravated domestic assault. He will be sentenced Aug. 10 when Judge Jim Kitchens holds his motions day prior to the Aug. 21 start of the summer term of circuit court.
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| Brian Clark |
The 37-year-old Clark, who listed on court documents that he makes $100,000 a month from his family’s oil and convenience store business, faces from two to 20 years in prison.
In an impassioned victim’s impact statement, Clark’s former wife, Hope Imes Clark, who still lives in Columbus, says prison is the only thing that will stop his violence toward women.
In her hand-written statement, filed June 12 with the court, she recalls “the countless nights I have spent re-living this nightmare, worrying about the effect this man had on my children. He had no regard for my life. He turned my bedroom into a blood bath. I think about how my 10-year-old son listened to his mother being attacked in the next room as he sat in the corner of his room with a bat in fear he was next. Then my thoughts shift to the fact that this monster was once that little boy, terrified, in the corner.” Clark wrote the statement about the Sept. 6, 2013, assault.
Pictures taken afterwards show deep gouges in her head and deep purple and black bruises to her face and eyes.
“Brian’s battering of women will not stop without consequences. Rehabs, drug courts, therapy have been ineffective,” she wrote, alleging that even after attending anger management classes, he assaulted another “intimate partner” in 2015 and has an order of protection filed against him in Florida.
“I definitely believe he needs to be removed from his current environment — home and parents’ protection — and held accountable for his actions,” she continues. “…His current environment and his parents’ continued enabling and excusing his behavior has only exacerbated his disrespect for authority and his victims.”
Saying she has a “merciful heart,” Clark admits she is torn.
“I forgive because I want to be forgiven,” she wrote. “…I am angry that Brian has put me in this position. Abuse has affected Brian’s life and my life. Left unchecked, it will create many more victims, including our son,” she says, referring to the child they had together before the assault.
She asks Kitchens to impose “as much time as he sees fit to correct Brian’s behavior” and then adds, “the maximum sentencing this crime allows.”
Following the assault, Clark was indicted that fall but not arrested and arraigned until February 2014. Since then, the case has been continued numerous times according to court documents for everything from witnesses who couldn’t be present to “newly discovered evidence” to a sick judge.
Clark finally pleaded guilty in May. According to court records, Clark’s attorney, Rod Ray, asked for, and Kitchens granted, a delay in sentencing so Clark could “attend counseling for certain behaviors.”
Between May and the Aug. 10 sentencing, Kitchens ordered Clark to have no contact with the victim.
Ray couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday. Article
Kingfish note: Here are the pictures of the victim's injuries.
Some final notes:
*The defendant is the nephew of Butler Snow CEO Don Clark
*The defense hired State Representative Jeff Smith as counsel February. Mr. Smith filed a motion for a continuance. His excuse? He could not attend court because he was serving in the legislature. The continuance motion was filed on the same day that he filed his entry of appearance.
*The case was continued no less than 14 times.
*His girlfriend in Destin got a restraining order issued against him in May last year after he allegedly committed acts of violence against her. The order was faxed to the Wayne County Sheriff but was allegedly never served upon Mr. Clark because the Sheriff claimed he did not received it. You can't make this up.
56 comments:
The Judge needs to send him to Parchman - tell him Bubba wants to meet him!
I don't jump on the usual bandwagon of all domestic disputes should result in the man being arrested, etc but my goodness this Rufus is indefensible. What a pos lock him up and throw away the key.
Apparently the Free State of Jones is not the only county where justice is served selectively. I do have faith that Judge Kitchens will put this asshole where he belongs.
High five to the ex-wife for not-so-subtly calling out this asshole's own father for being an abuser. Very nice form.
Looks like he's been doing a litte offshore fishing between that time period.
Bet you he never serves a day in prison---he will be sentenced to 3 years of house arrest---"MONEY TALKS" very loud !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A lot of low life live in or move to Mississippi. Sewer of the south. Well, No. that's New Orleans.
The Federal govt. should have bought up every piece of property in NO after Katrina and made it into a wildfile refuge.
Also, all of Jones & Hinds county.
I hear Judge Kitchens is an honest man. I hope he will do the right thing and put this monster away for the maximum sentence.
He fittin to be squealin like a piggie not fer too long hehe
1103, I'll take that bet. This POS will be locked up for a decade. Or more once he breaks his probation period that will follow.
He has been to druggie court following his third felony DUI; he has the pendng FL case. He is not being tried in hometown South MS court, but in Columbus. And I am sure the Judge will see thru the farce pulled by Uncle and Rep Smith.
Hope he makes it to the MS delta farm, not to Green County.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! @ 11:03 IS BACK!
FOUR YEARS since he brutalized this woman, and he's still out roaming around? FOUR YEARS???!?
The only thing more despicable than allowing predators like this to escape consequences, is the fact that in doing so, he will end up killing some family's loved one before he's finally stopped.
Wish that the one who must bear the loss of their loved one be the same person who refused to stop the perpetrator. But it never works out that way.
Hoping he goes to Parchment., Its a Royal stronghold. The BRothers will show him NO PITY. XIII
It sounds like a den of snakes down there in Wayne and Jones Counties. I understand that the Clarks and Burroughs families are close friends (there was an article in Monday's Clarion Ledger about the girlfriend of Greg Burroughs Burroughs is also from a wealthy family). The article stated the girlfriend, Katherine Sinclair, had shot herself - she was predominately left handed, but was shot in the right side of the head, She died the next day. After Greg Burroughs was taken in for questioning, his family cleaned the garage of all the blood and glass. The Burroughs family said that the Laurel police had given them permission to clean the crime scene in the garage. Sounds like Jones County and Wayne county ought to merge into one big cesspool - because, that's what you have going on in southwest Mississippi.
I'm from Lowndes County and have followed this case for some time. When Clark appeared before the judge, he swore that he didn't have any money and needed a court appointed attorney, which was provided. Give me a break - he's making over a million dollars a year and can't afford one. He got a high powered attorney in Rod Ray - very expensive! Wonder if Rod's wife has looked at the photos where she was severely beaten and almost killed in front of her two children! I hope his wife sleeps good at night knowing her husband is defending a wife beater!
For those that do not know Jim Kitchens, pray YOU never appear before him. He has a reputation for being very tough on criminals. He was a former ADA in that district. I doubt he will be persuaded or influenced by the uncle or the good representative. Look for real prison time here.
Can't they also charge Clark for his false statement that he was broke?
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=49720
Judge Kitchens had no problem sentencing a 69 year old widow to 10 years in prison. The pot plants were the widow's daughters plants, daughter stayed in CA, old lady went jail.
did i read that correct, the case was continued 14 times??? I thought Hinds County was the only place that continued cases.
No 2:43, its just the folks that live in the metro area and keep their heads in the sand think that the only bad system of justice is in Hinds County with its soon (we hope) to be convicted ex-DA. Criminal defense attorneys make their living by dragging out cases, particularly when they can get their clients out on bail. But few can pull off the last delay that this scumbag did, getting Uncle Don to convince local attorney to hire onto the case and claim legislative delay. Guess when you are chmn of W&M and the state's biggest bond attorney calls, you just ask how high when he suggests that you jump.
Just like the first 11:03 said....MONEY TALKS LOUDLY.....if this asshole has the money they say, the ties to Butler Snow and his parents have any clout at all Kitchens will be more than lenient. After all, the good judge wants to be reelected.
For those who don't know, if your attorney is in the Legislature and in session and you are in state court, the attorney is able to get a continuance until they are no longer in session.
Where are the Clark family gas stations? Sounds like an opportunity to boycott. I'm sure they have commercial contracts, fleet services, etc. I could never do business with these animals! Did the ex-wife file a civil suit against this scumbag? I sure hope so!
he's going to walk. people like this always walk.
Weak men like Mr Clark abuse women to compensate for other weakness. Where is the Father, Brothers or Cousins of this lady? These type of men know who to abuse. If a Son of a Bitch put his hands on my daughters. I'll rephrase, these fuckers know I will beat their ass in the town square like a bitch they are.
I will hunt their ass down. Woo, I need to calm down!!!!
My dad, put his hands on my mother in the early 70's . It was his last, and we were real close until his death 20 years later.
I don't condone violence, unless met with it!!!
I need to go lay down.
He was married to one of the Imes from Columbus Miss? Poor boy is holding a pair of 2's. Don't care how much oil money his family has, what firm his uncle is a partner in (Lord Snow's included), or the relative is a MS legislature.
The Imes may not be on the Forbes 400 but not because they do not qualify. That Clark boy really done himself in. If the lightning does not get him, the tornado will.
Can't do a damn thing about justice delayed or state representatives who would defend this scum bag. Don't have any control over any of it. But will be sure not to knowingly buy anything from the Clark family. Obviously money is the only thing that matters to them.
There is a "C" store right across from the Beau Rivage. Sounds like a good place to start! They own "C" stores in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. If you see one, skip it and go down the road to another brand.
Much misinformation floating here. (1) don't believe she is an "ex" yet; divorce proceedings are underway in Wayne County, but not finalized. His claim of being destitute more for the divorce settlement,although all of us in and around Wayne County knows that it is crap. (2) She was married to an Imes, not he. (3) yes, if your attorney is in the legislature you can get a continuence. Issue in this case was JS wasn't an attorney of record until February this year, same day that they filed for a continuence due to his being in the legislature. Amazing that they all of a sudden needed Smith's representation when criminal defense has never been his forte.
And to answer the question - the Clarks have Clark Oil Company, and the multiple "C Stores" across south MS and the coast. Just in case you want to take your business elsewhere.
@12:57, I'm sure Mrs. Ray sleeps fine because she knows that it is her husband's job to represent people in court. Or are you suggesting that certain types of criminals deserve no defense in our great society that declares everyone to be innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law?
3:44 - Those would be the gas stations with the "Clark's" signs.
Not he, she. She was married to one of the Imes. She is the ex-wife of Frank Imes.
Frank Imes was a student of my Mom's at the Dem school at the W. Frank would come see my mother up until she passed away . Frank was always a favorite of Mom's - Frank would come over and eat with us and always would come back for more.
You can add Smith County to the list. Don't know how many times the SCSO tipped off our ex-son-in-law that there was an arrest warrant for him so he could high-tail it out of the county. They were "protecting" him from having to pay child support. What scum -- protecting a man from his responsibility to little children who really needed help.
Smith's daughter works at ________ law firm.
"Smith's daughter works at ________ law firm."
Didn't know he has a daughter that works at a law firm, but I do know he has a son that is a lawyer and he works in his Father's firm in Columbus, MS.
It's the "C" stores - if you have every been to the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, when you come out to highway 90 from the front door, you have a "C' store right in front of you, there are around 47 along Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Do they own Clark Beverage also or is that a different family?
@ 758 AM, I am pretty sure that is a different set of Clarks.
Does this thug have a middle name or initial?
Reading the nems report makes me think that the common first and last names and the lack of a middle name or initial makes it harder for the average jane or joe to google this lowlife to find out whatever else hes been up to in his years on earth. Most mugshots have the full name (just like it reads on the charge sheet) to prevent confusion.
This can't be the first trip to the mugshot wall for this wifebeating @$$clown.
From the google webcache:
"Oil Executive Arrested, Charged With Beating Wife
BY COLIN KRIEGER columbuspacket@cableone.net 9/13/2013
Columbus Police Chief Selvain McQueen confirmed this week that 33-year-old Brian Frank Clark was
arrested and charged in connection with the beating of his wife last Thursday in Columbus. McQueen said
that the victim was beaten badly enough to receive at least 16 stitches on her head, along with other injuries to
her eye and neck.
The two juvenile sons of the victim were present at the home and reportedly witnessed the assault."
http://archive.is/GkiHA
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=27010
https://www.justmugshots.com/mississippi/forrest-county/9464660#criminal_history
"Name: Brian F Clark
Detention Date: November 27th, 2010
Location:
Forrest County, MS
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 190 Lbs
Race: W
Charges: 0 0.0 0.0 29543 2407 PROFANITY
0 0.0 0.0 29544 2402 DISORDERLY CONDUCT
0 0.0 0.0 29545 MV - NO INSURANCE
0 0.0 0.0 29546 0102 RECKLESS DRIVING
0 0.0 0.0 29547 63-11-30(1 FELONY DUI"
9:23 -- Good information. Appears he didn't change his shirt between 2010 and 2013. Hundred years ago, this guy would have self-corrected, based on some family pressure, or he just wouldn't have been a problem again after he "left town". Today, he just gets passed through the system, with a wink and a nod. I think a little lodge cast iron up against the right side of his head, with subsequent stitches, might get his attention. Men like this make me sick.
Tomorrow is the big day. I bet sentencing gets delayed again or he is a no-show. Would not want to be in his shoes today.
I understand people doubting what Judge Kitchens will do because of preconceptions of monetary influences. However, Judge Kitchens' integrity and respect for the Law is beyond reproach. There are bad Lawyers that give our system a bad reputation. There are also bad Doctors, Home Builders, and people from every walk of life.
Judge Kitchens will follow the Law not afraid of reelection or political retaliation. We should have more Judges like Jim Kitchens. I predict a lot of people will be surprised by a very harsh and appropriate sentence from a Judge that is being ridiculed so wrongly--even before he acts. Judge Kitchens will be fair and consistent in his decision. He deserves the Public's respect for serving so well as an ADA and as a Judge.
ALL SUSPECTS ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW!
This is probably a different guy.
"By Orange County Register
April 22, 2008 at 3:00 am"
"19th Street and Court: arrest, April 20. Brian Frank Clark, 27, of Newport Beach, was arrested on suspicion of DUI."
http://www.ocregister.com/2008/04/22/newport-beach-police-blotter-man-attempts-to-kidnap-woman/
The fact that Kitchens has allowed this case to be continued 14 days is an clear indication that he's treating this Defendant differently. Anyone that's been in front of Kitchens knows he grants continuances as very rarely and NEVER this many times. He's not very strong and relies on his "tough on crime" persona to get votes. He's never held a private job and has no idea how to practice law on his own. He has a lot to lose at sentencing: does he bow down to the Big Money Clarks or will he sentence this POS to prison for 20?
As an aside, wonder what would've happened if this was just some ordinary dude from Lowndes County? Hell, he'd be serving 20 years since 2013 that's for sure.
"As an aside, wonder what would've happened if this was just some ordinary dude from Lowndes County? Hell, he'd be serving 20 years since 2013 that's for sure."
Just ask the seventy year old widowed grandmother doing time (10 years) for her daughters pot plants, she could probably tell you.
Dude is not from Lowndes County - nor is his family. SHE is from Lowndes County, and family is well placed there politically. So all this concern over what Judge Kitchens will or will not do about this scumbag is pure speculation by those that troll this site regularly and want to bitch about everybody else but themselves.
Scumbag has been making moves to try to continue the case again. I'm betting he loses this time. Anyone in?
$100K per month in passive income and he gets a ticket for no insurance. What a dead beat.
Now that you've seen the evidence of abuse in the pictures - let's look at this past legislative session and remind you who is working the halls of the house on the hill in Jackson
February 28, 2017
Rep. Andy Gipson of Braxton Mississippi
“If there’s a case of abuse, that person needs to have change of behavior and a serious change of heart,” he was quoted as saying. “Hopefully even in those cases restoration can happen.”
Now the genius said, "well I was taken out of context?" - how the freak can you still make a comment that damn stupid, when we are discussing matters of spousal abuse and violence!? Then on top of it, he's in a leadership position!?
Who needs enemy's with elected officials like Gipson on the Hill
Facebook Friends -
Tomorrow, the guy who plead guilty to brutally attacking my niece, would have been sentenced at 9 AM in Lowndes County Circuit Court. Yet, we have another delay - this makes 15, fifteen total delays that have been agreed upon by the District Attorney's office and the defense and signed off on by the Judge. This time they tell us that the guy who pled guilty to this crime has not completed his treatment - treatment that was not required by the court but was given as an option for the guilty to take. Let's see, he plead guilty in May of this year and three months later, he had only completed 10-12 steps of the 24 required. The treatment centenr he is going to is an out-patient facility. He should have completed the course by now, yet District Attorney Scott Colom has agreed with one of his ADAs to allow him to remain free at least until October, if not Christmas!
Let's not forget Judge Jim Kitchens for allowing this travesty of justice to continue, not once, not twice, but fifteen times over the course of the last four years. I have never seen him allow this to happen before. I always thought he would make a good Supreme Court Justice.
Our family needs closure and we need your help - please share this with your Facebook friends and ask them to call their state senators, state representatives, the Governor's office, the District Attorney's office, the office of Attorney General Jim Hood and ask for their help! We need a requirement that he be tested for drugs or alcohol. We need to require that he remain within the boundaries of Mississippi. He continues to hunt and fish wherever he wants to - in the Gulf of Mexico on his boat or flying around in his plane around the country. He was allowed to remain free on his original $20,000 bail. He even lied to the court and swore that he had no money so A counsel was appointed for him by the State of Mississippi. The good citizens of Lowndes County paid for this. He neglected to tell you that he was making $100,000.00 a month from his family's company.
People - after four long years, this needs to end! Please help!. I'm glad my Mother did not have to live thru this. She passed away one year after this happened, but she did see the horrific photos of what he did.
My now five and fourteen year old nephews were in the house that terrible night. My niece even wrote on her victim's impact statement that her oldest son was in the next room in the corner holding a baseball bat thinking he would be next after his mother!
This is a travesty.
Jessica N John Younger
Better get all up in Gipson's campaign finance to see if he's getting paid by any notorious wife or women beaters.
Because I get the idea that maybe Gipson was speaking his mind.
Man this dude got more lives than a cat, delayed again. This makes 15 times.
Our government is literally enabling stuff like this to keep happening. This isn't just a case of "domestic violence" either-looks like attempted murder enabled by the government village.
@2:59 YES Attempted murder sounds more and more like the appropriate charge in this case!!! I wonder what liability the DA's office, the Judge, his lawyer cabal headed by Rod Ray/Jeff Smith/Uncle Don Clark/Butler Snow,et al & bondsman are opening themselves up to with all of these flipping continuances,with all of them knowing his propensities for escalating violence upon women &children?
It says in the girlfriend Erin's affidavit that this POS threatened to "ruin her friend's lives" and that he told her "your life is over...why don't you blow your brains out?" whiich happened all while on yet ANOTHER continuance requested & granted by these bastions of respectability.Wouldnt she have a cause of action? And HE DIDNT EVEN GET HIS LOWNDES CO BOND REVOKED for that???!!!!
How is this not enabling a serial domestic abuser? Wasn't he in the thick of his non-adjudicated probation in Forrest County Circuit Court/Drug Court probation? WHY DIDN'T FORREST COUNTY REVOKE HIS PROBATION FOR HOPE'S BEATING? Why in the world wasn't he revoked then?!! and would this open FORREST COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT/DRUG COURT/DA up to liability because it looks like they also let this waste of human space skip free to abuse Erin too all the while knowing his escalating propensities for violence?
And last but certainly not least, what about his parents, JON FRANK & BETTY CLARK, who are funding his crime spree through the CLARK OIL/CLARK CONVENIENCE STORES? They are the ones who keep paying everyone to sweep all his psycho dirt under the rug.Shouldn't these professed Christians bear some responsibility? I'm not a lawyer so I'm not sure about this but it sure doesn't pass that ole "smell test" that jurors are asked to apply!
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