Joplin man’s domestic violence case dismissed

Oct. 10—A Joplin man’s domestic violence charge was dismissed Thursday when his alleged victim, his girlfriend, failed to appear to testify against him at a hearing in Jasper County District Court.

Joshua G. Randall, 46, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on second-degree domestic violence charges, but the charge was dismissed.

An affidavit filed with the prosecution alleged that on May 12, the defendant was angry with his girlfriend and accused her of cheating on him. He then allegedly pushed her against a wall in her apartment and told her to follow him into a bedroom, where he grabbed her by her hair, threw her to the floor and began choking her with his forearm on her throat, according to the lawsuit the affidavit.

The document says Randall held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her before completing the abuse.

Randall waived a hearing Thursday on the individual charges of driving under the influence, driving while revoked and failing to give a turn signal. These charges were filed August 25 in Joplin.

Jeff Lehr is a reporter for The Joplin Globe.