Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence

Man Sentenced to More Than 1 Year for Felony Domestic Assault After Abusing Woman in Front of Their Child

NORFOLK, Va. – Shantai Demond Lancaster, 30, was sentenced on Friday to serve one year and seven months in prison after he pleaded guilty to felony third-offense assault and battery of a family member for attacking the mother of his child in a hotel last year.

On July 8, 2023, while the couple and their child were staying in a hotel room, Mr. Lancaster looked through the victim’s phone as she was sleeping. Mr. Lancaster then woke the victim and began attacking her by hitting her, strangling her, kicking her, slamming her head against the floor, spitting on her, and using objects in the hotel room to further beat her.

The victim pursued a charge through a Norfolk magistrate against Mr. Lancaster for misdemeanor domestic assault, and Norfolk Police arrested Mr. Lancaster the following month. Mr. Lancaster has two prior convictions of misdemeanor domestic assault, so the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office secured a direct indictment from a grand jury in May 2024 to elevate Mr. Lancaster’s charge to felony third-offense assault and battery of a family member.

Mr. Lancaster initially pleaded not guilty to his felony charge in early August and opted to be tried by a judge. During the victim’s testimony at his trial before Judge Jamilah D. LeCruise, Mr. Lancaster decided to withdraw his plea of not guilty and instead plead guilty as charged.

On Friday, Judge LeCruise sentenced Mr. Lancaster to serve one year and seven months in prison and suspended another one year and five months on the conditions that Mr. Lancaster have no hostile contact with the victim and that Mr. Lancaster complete three years of uniform good behavior and supervised probation following his release.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Victoria V. Kapper prosecuted Mr. Lancaster’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth.

If you have or someone you love has fallen victim to crime, including but not limited to domestic violence, resources are available at the Norfolk Family Justice Center. For more information, please visit norfolkfjc.org, call 757-330-0376 or stop by the NFJC inside the Park Place Multi-Services Center at 606 W. 29th St., between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. If you are in crisis, call the 24/7 hotline by dialing 757-251-0144. In an emergency, please call 911.

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Aug. 6, 2024

Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence

Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Domestic Assault After Abusing Woman in Front of Their Child

NORFOLK, Va. – Shantai Demond Lancaster, 30, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to felony third-offense assault and battery of a family member for attacking the mother of his child in a hotel last year.

On July 8, 2023, while the couple and their child were staying in a hotel room, Mr. Lancaster looked through the victim’s phone as she was sleeping. Mr. Lancaster then woke the victim and began attacking her by hitting her, strangling her, kicking her, slamming her head against the floor, spitting on her, and using objects in the hotel room to further beat her.

The victim pursued a charge through a Norfolk magistrate against Mr. Lancaster for misdemeanor domestic assault, and Norfolk Police arrested Mr. Lancaster the following month. Mr. Lancaster has two prior convictions of misdemeanor domestic assault, so the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office secured a direct indictment from a grand jury in May 2024 to elevate Mr. Lancaster’s charge to felony third-offense assault and battery of a family member.

Mr. Lancaster pleaded not guilty to his felony charge on Tuesday and opted to be tried by a judge. During the victim’s testimony at trial, Mr. Lancaster decided to withdraw his plea of not guilty and instead plead guilty as charged with no agreement to his sentence. Judge Jamilah D. LeCruise accepted Mr. Lancaster’s plea and set his sentencing hearing on Aug. 23.

“Thank you to the survivor of Mr. Lancaster’s crime for having the courage to come forward and to save herself from this dangerous situation,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “We stand with survivors of domestic violence, we will seek a sentence for Mr. Lancaster that reflects his continued abuse of the people he claims to love, and we will ask the Court to impose whatever conditions it can to help the survivor and Mr. Lancaster to break this cycle of violence.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Victoria V. Kapper is prosecuting Mr. Lancaster’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth.

If you have or someone you love has fallen victim to crime, including but not limited to domestic violence, resources are available at the Norfolk Family Justice Center. For more information, please visit norfolkfjc.org, call 757-330-0376 or stop by the NFJC inside the Park Place Multi-Services Center at 606 W. 29th St., between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. If you are in crisis, call the 24/7 hotline by dialing 757-251-0144. In an emergency, please call 911.

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