Libby man accused of assaulting girlfriend with vodka bottle

A 46-year-old Libby man is facing charges of assault after throwing and striking his girlfriend with a vodka bottle. 

Joshua Robert Bennett is accused of assaulting his girlfriend during an altercation, in which the girlfriend also claims he grabbed her hair and threw her to the ground, and that the violence had happened regularly.

Bennett faces two charges: Partner of Family Member Assault Causing Bodily Injury to Partner or Family Member and Assault with a Weapon. This can result in a jail term of up to 20 years.

According to police documents, deputies responded in to a residence on May 2 in Libby after Bennett called 911, reporting he got in a physical fight with his girlfriend, who was bleeding but refusing EMS.

A family member took the girlfriend to the hospital, where a deputy talked to her. The deputy noted a very swollen left wrist, a scratch on her neck and a bruise on her left calf.

The victim told the deputy that Bennett and she had gotten into an argument over something that happened three days ago and it escalated. The victim said Bennett punched her in the face and the scratch on her was from an open hand flap.

According to police documents, the victim said Bennett threw a large glass vodka bottle at the woman that hit her in the hand, causing pain and swelling, needing an x-ray. Bennett also chased the girlfriend around the property with a garbage can, trying to throw it at her. The deputy also watched video footage from a home security camera that showed Bennett throwing the vodka bottle full force at the girlfriend and hitting her.

The girlfriend also said that Bennett had grabbed her hair and thrown her to the ground, causing her injury from tripping over a wire from a camper trailer. The girlfriend said that this type of physical violence happens regularly.

The deputy went to speak to Bennett, who was still at the property. He said he had gotten into an argument about her taking their shared vehicle, and he did not want her to. He said there was another argument about someone putting “weed butter” on his garlic toast three days ago. 

Bennett said that the girlfriend had started the altercation by punching him in the face over and over. The deputy noted he had a cut above his right eye that Bennett claimed was from the girlfriend hitting him on the head with a meth pipe. Bennett mentioned throwing the bottle at the girlfriend.

As deputies had video of Bennett assaulting his girlfriend with the bottle and her injuries were consistent with her statements, they placed Bennett under arrest for assault.