Libby man pleads guilty to head butting girlfriend

A Libby man recently pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend in front of their infant child during an incident last summer.

Xander Elias Spady, 21, appeared in Lincoln County District Court on Oct. 28 and initially pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal endangerment and one misdemeanor count of partner or family member assault.

But at a Jan. 13 court appearance, Spady pleaded guilty to one county of felony endangerment and misdemeanor partner or family member assault.

District Judge Matt Cuffe ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set Spady’s sentencing for March 10.

According to the charging document filed by Deputy County Attorney Lauren O’Neill, county deputy Ben Fisher and Troy police officer Michael Miller investigated the Aug. 16 incident.

According to Fisher’s narrative, when he spoke to the alleged victim, she said Spady came home from work and they went to the gas station where he bought a six-pack of tall cans of beer. She said he drank them, then went to another business where Spady allegedly drank two “shots” with his mom. The couple then went to Spady’s mom’s house. 

The accused and his mom’s boyfriend went to a casino and bought a bottle of whiskey. Spady’s girlfriend said he drank about of a quarter of the whiskey. She said he was very drunk, became agitated and emotional before they left the house. She said Spady punched the dash and the window in the car while they drove. The woman said she recorded the incident on her phone.

Fisher listened to the recording and heard a baby crying in the back seat of the car during an emotional scene in which all the occupants were yelling and crying. She also said Spady head butted her in the side of the face while she drove.

The alleged victim said she got the formula and other items from their residence on Pioneer Road in Libby. She left the house with the baby and returned to Troy and her mother’s house. She then walked to the Town Pump to get something for the baby and on returning to her mom’s house, saw Spady in a side-by-side vehicle. She snuck back into her mom’s house.

The alleged victim’s mom told deputy Fisher that Spady tried to get into the home before leaving. She then called 911.

When Fisher spoke to the alleged victim, she said she was afraid of Spady and was also afraid to report past incidents because he convinced her he would take the baby from her.

Fisher sought assistance from law officers in Libby to determine if Spady was in the Pioneer Road residence. Deputy Cody Dewitt and Libby police officer Don Luthey went to the home where they saw the side-by-side vehicle. Attempts to speak to Spady were not successful.

When officer Miller spoke to the alleged victim’s mother, she told him Spady had turned 21 on Wednesday (Aug. 14). Miller spoke to the alleged victim about the head butt and he took a photo with his duty cell phone of a swollen red mark near her eye.

According to Spady’s release conditions, he is not allowed to carry or use weapons, illegal drugs or alcohol. He must also submit to alcohol and drug testing. The state didn’t oppose the couple living together as long as there is no violence and they don’t talk about the case.

A conviction for criminal endangerment may result in a 10-year prison term while a conviction for partner of family member assault may result in a one-year term in the county jail.