A 60-year-old Centralia man has pleaded guilty in Marion County Court to charges of aggravated battery to a nurse and unlawful restraint in connection with an altercation with a nurse in the emergency room area of SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital.
As part of the plea agreement a charge of criminal sexual assault with use of force was dropped against Henry Leake IV.
State’s Attorney Tim Hudspeth told Judge Mark Stedelin that the victim opposed the plea agreement because the sexual assault charge was dropped. Hudspeth said because she was upset with the plea, she did not attend Tuesday’s court session.
Sentencing has been set for December 20th following completion of a presentence investigation. Hudspeth plans to play a video of the incident at the sentencing hearing.
Leake is accused in the aggravated battery charge of grabbing a nurse by the head in a treatment room in the emergency room area and then backing her into a back corner of the room not allowing her to leave.
The criminal sexual assault charge that was dropped claimed Leake by the use of force attempted to commit a sex act against the nurse.
The incident occurred in June 2021. Leake was found unfit to stand trial in November of 2021 and after Department of Human Services treatment was restored to fitness on May 31st of this year.
