Man sentenced to 10 years for strangulation

Mindy Ragan Wood, The Norman Transcript, Okla.
·2 min read

Mar. 30—A man who was found guilty of strangling his girlfriend was sentenced to 10 years Monday before District Judge Thad Balkman.

Chad Berg, 55, of Norman, was convicted of assault and battery by strangulation on Jan. 17, The Transcript previously reported.

During the trial, the victim told the court that Berg strangled her until she passed out, and she awoke to him dragging her across the floor of their residence by her feet. A witness called 911 and police responded, court records showed. First responders found injuries consistent with strangulation.

During the sentencing hearing Monday, the victim told Judge Balkman she believed she had found the "love of her life."

"I was madly deeply in love with him and (then) just to wind up walking on eggshells," she said. "We had a great life. Things went great and then just it was like one day he just woke up a completely different person. I suffer severely from PTSD. I have severe anxiety. I constantly sit there and think that it's him following me, or it's a private investigator as usual following me."

The victim also told the judge that it was not the first time Berg strangled her.

"And I told him that if he ever did that to me again that I would call the police," she said.

The effects of the abuse have also prevented her from getting a job, the victim told the court.

"Because of this and even after this, I can't keep a job. I've tried," she said. "I have tried so many times to sit there and be in society, but I constantly worry about everybody and about everything. I sit there and I just, I always constantly worry about what other people think, the way other people feel, the way if somebody's going to hurt me again. I put my full 100% trust into Chad. He saved me from an abusive relationship."

It was also not the first time Berg had abused a woman, the victim claimed.

"Chad has a history of doing these things. I'm not the first woman he's done this to," she said. "But if I can prevent somebody else from it happening to them, then I'm OK with what happened to me. As long as I can save somebody else, then I'm okay with that. I don't want anyone or another family to ever have to sit there and go through what I've been going through for the last over two and a half years," she said.

Berg has been charged with domestic-related assaults in the past, but they were dismissed, prosecutors noted from a pre-sentencing investigation report. The report also cited previous convictions for alcohol-related crimes.

Following sentencing, Berg was remanded into custody.

Mindy Wood covers City Hall news and notable court cases for The Transcript. Reach her at mwood@normantranscript.com or 405-416-4420.

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