Police: South Salt Lake man beat, kidnapped wife

A South Salt Lake man faces kidnapping and assault charges after police say he beat his wife into unconsciousness and refused to let her leave their home for eight days.

The 32-year-old man was charged in 3rd District Court on Thursday with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and two counts of commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child.

On Dec. 26, he and his wife were in their bedroom on the 2600 block of Windsor Circle when he became angry and beat her, and brought their 11-year-old and 9-year-old children in to watch, according to the charges. After he let the children leave, he beat her again until she was unconscious, the charges add.

She went in and out of consciousness until eventually she managed to say that she needed to go to the hospital, but he refused to let her leave, the charges state. Then on Dec. 30, he felt ill and asked her to drive him to the hospital, but on the way there he started punching her again, the charges add.

Police say that she pulled over and got out, but that he came back for her a short time later and dragged her back to the car.

"From December 26, 2012, until January 2, 2013, the defendant refused to allow [her] to leave their home," continuing to beat her and hiding her phone so she could not call the police, the charges state.

On Jan. 2 after he fell asleep, the woman went to her brother's home for help. Police arrested her husband.

According to the charges, one of their children told an officer that "the defendant '... will come and get us so we can watch him hit her. Sometimes he laughs.'"

mmcfall@sltrib.comTwitter: @mikeypanda