York man sentenced to 5 years for pointing gun

A York convicted felon, barred by law from possession of a weapon, was sentenced to five years in prison this week after a jury found him guilty of pointing a gun at a woman who claimed he was the father of her child.

David Junior Hayes, 36, was sentenced by Judge DeAndrea Benjamin after a jury convicted Hayes of pointing the pistol at the woman, but acquitted Hayes on charges of criminal domestic violence and possession of a pistol during the commission of a violent crime. Hayes was given the maximum sentence for the weapon-pointing charge, said Daniel Porter, the 16th Circuit assistant solicitor who prosecuted the case.

Police and prosecutors in York alleged that in September, Hayes was at a home in York next door to where the victim, who claimed that Hayes was the father of her child, was visiting friends.

There was an argument over alleged owed child support, which the victim claimed turned physical. The woman told police Hayes choked her, then Hayes went back to a house and returned with a pistol. Hayes fired a pistol into the air and pointed it at her, the victim told police.

Hayes denied the allegations, as well as paternity of the child.

Hayes has served prison time for domestic violence and other charges including two convictions for assault and battery, escape from prison, fraudulent checks and driving offenses. As a convicted felon, Hayes cannot have a firearm.

This story was originally published April 11, 2015 at 9:51 AM with the headline "York man sentenced to 5 years for pointing gun."