Douglas County jury convicts man of attacking woman, breaking her back

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A Douglas County man has been convicted of sodomizing and beating a woman in 2019.

According to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, Earl Hagger was convicted of aggravated sodomy, aggravated battery and aggravated assault.

Prosecutors say that in January 2019, a woman told police that she was at Hagger’s residence when he sodomized her.

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When she tried to fight back, Hagger began hitting her with a stick, breaking her arm and causing extensive bruising and swelling. After going to Grady Memorial Hospital, it was also determined that two of the vertebrae in her back had also been broken.

Several hours after the attack, the victim says Hagger drove her back to her residence in Atlanta, and she called 911.

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During the trial, Hagger took the stand and testified that he had prior convictions for rape and aggravated sodomy.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning a guilty verdict.

“While this verdict will not fully heal the victim, we believe this will be a steppingstone for her along this path,” said District Attorney Dalia Racine.

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A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

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