A 47-year-old Fayette man changed his plea and was sentenced to spend more than a half-decade in state prison on Tuesday, August 11.

Santana Graves withdrew his previous not-guilty plea and pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman on March 4. The police report said Graves struck the woman with his fist, causing physical damage to her facial area. The woman was transported to the hospital for treatment.

Graves pleaded guilty to a Class E Felony for Domestic Assault in the Third Degree.

The judge accepted the recommendation from the prosecutor and sentenced Graves to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. The judge denied probation at this time. However, probation will be reconsidered once Graves completes the Institutional Treatment Program.