The jury trial for a Marshall man facing a felony charge for allegedly assaulting a man more than two years ago is scheduled to begin.
According to the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, on February 28, 2020, it received a call in regards to an assault that had taken place on a farm facility on 105th Road, just south of Marshall Junction.
A witness told authorities when he and the victim arrived to check on cattle at the facility, Aaron Smith approached them and began assaulting the victim. The witness stated that Smith struck the victim with a closed fist in the face several times, then kicked him on the ground, hit him with a feed bucket and attempted to hit him with an axe handle. The witness said the owner of the facility, who also is Smith’s father, intervened and told Smith to leave the area.
When deputies arrived at the victim’s residence, the witness was visibly shaken and said when they arrived at the farm facility, Aaron Smith came over as they got out of the truck, and yelled profanities at them, accusing them of “starving the cows”, then struck the victim with his closed right fist multiple times.
The witness said he saw Smith wrap the victim’s jacket around his head, get him on the ground, and continued to hit and kick him. The victim attempted to roll under the truck to get away from Smith, and Smith grabbed a feed bucket and struck the victim with it. Smith grabbed an axe handle out of the back of his truck and approached the victim again. The victim was able to get away from Smith, who was unable to land a strike him with the axe handle.
The victim was not able to speak over the phone due to bleeding profusely from his mouth and nose. A deputy met the victim at his residence, and the victim stated he was experiencing pain from the assault, was examined at Fitzgibbon Hospital and transferred to University Hospital in Columbia due to the fractures and facial trauma he sustained.
Smith is charged with a felony for assault in the first degree. Smith posted the 10-percent required of a $50,000 on March 2, 2020. On June 30, 2020, the court revoked bond, and bond was reset at no bond. Bond was reinstated on June 16, 2020.
Smith, who pleaded not guilty on June 3, 2020, waived his preliminary hearing, and his case was bound over to the trial division on July 2, 2020.
Smith’s two-day jury trial is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 30, at Saline County Circuit Court.