West Brandywine mother gets probation for attacking husband’s paramour
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
The West Brandywine mother of three had no criminal history on Sept. 26, 2012, when she lured a Honey Brook woman into her home and viciously assaulted her – an attack that left the victim with multiple bruises, abrasions and a broken nose.
Most everyone, including a Chester County Court judge, agreed that Selina Morrow, 36, had reason to be enraged: She had just learned that her husband was having an affair with the 25-year-old. But acting on that impulse merited criminal charges, prosecutors said.
In June, a jury agreed, convicting Morrow of simple assault, and on Tuesday Judge David Bortner sentenced her to two years’ probation, the first 30 days of which will include electronic home confinement.
Assistant District Attorney Brian D. Burack had asked for three days of incarceration. “This was more than just a simple fight,” said Burack. He noted that the jury did not believe Morrow when she testified in her own defense that she “didn’t do these things.” He said even while “understanding the back story, you can’t justify the violence.”
The victim did not attend the sentencing but submitted an impact statement detailing the attack and its aftermath, a missive that was long enough that only part of it was read aloud. “It’s essentially consistent with the trial testimony,” said defense attorney Anthony Peszka.
Peszka said any jail time would constitute a burden for Morrow, especially because one of her children has cerebral palsy. He called the crime a “one-time offense” committed on “someone in her house uninvited.”
Bortner said letters in support of Morrow showed that she was “generally regarded highly in the community.” The judge suggested that he added the ankle bracelet to the sentence because he was troubled that Morrow still appeared to justify the crime, even saying as much in a letter she submitted to him.
The judge said some of Morrow’s supporters, who obviously got their impressions from Morrow, viewed the case as “some sort of home invasion and you were the innocent victim. That’s not the way I see this case, frankly. You were the one luring the victim into the house through the text messages.”
According to testimony, the victim received texts from the cell phone of Morrow’s husband, went to his residence, and let herself into the house, expecting a different kind of rendezvous. Instead, she said she was beaten by Morrow and another woman who was never identified.
Bortner said the fact that the jury acquitted Morrow of conspiracy meant that he would not consider that she might have enlisted help to carry out the beating, which “would be even more serious.” And even though Bortner said he understood Morrow’s hostility, she had no right to pummel the victim. He said unfortunately many women have been in that situation and don’t resort to violence. “As much as they might want to, they don’t act on that desire,” he said.
In addition to the probationary sentence, Bortner imposed restitution of $14,192, 100 hours of community service, and the completion of an anger-management course.
