La Plata, MD – Maurice Antonio Thorndyke, 44 of Washington, DC (pictured, left), was sentenced to seven years in the Maryland Department of Corrections Monday, April 24 for stabbing his former Charles County girlfriend on two separate occasions in 2016.
Charles County Assistant States Attorney Sarah K. Freeman told Circuit Court Judge Eric Nyce that on June 26, 2016, the defendant and the victim were involved in a domestic violence incident where Thorndyke grabbed the victim in a choke hold and threatened to kill her.
Freeman said the victim filed a protective order against the defendant and that Charles County Sheriff’s Office deputies were looking for him to serve the notice when he turned up at her apartment in Waldorf Sept. 26, 2016.
“The defendant stabbed her several times,” Freeman said. “Her forearm has permanent injury from the attack. He attacked her, they struggled; he had her in a headlock and continued to stab her. Two gentlemen intervened and chased him away. They believed the defendant was trying to kill her.”
One witness in the case, who ended up not having to testify because Thorndyke accepted a plea deal from the state, was one of two citizens who stepped forward to intercede in one of the stabbings.
“There is no doubt in my mind that if we hadn’t jumped in to help her, he would have killed her,” the witness said outside of the courtroom.
“He tried to get me several times,” the victim told Nyce. “He destroyed everything. After all the things he did, I forgive him, because my Lord says I should.”
“Mr. Thorndyke told us all along that he loved her, that he wanted to make things work,” Public Defender Mark Connell told the court.
“I’m sorry,” Thorndyke said. “I loved her. I feel like I deserve to pay for my failure.”
In the two cases, Nyce sentenced Thorndyke to 25 years on the first case, with all but two years suspended. On the attempted first-degree murder charge, he was given an additional five years consecutive to the first case.
The judge tacked on five years of supervised probation upon his release and Thorndyke was told he was to have no contact with the victim.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com