He hit a man in the back of the head with a hammer. Now SC man heads to prison, prosecutor says

A South Carolina man with four violent burglary convictions will spend 15 years in prison for a hammer attack that put a man in the hospital, according to prosecutors.

John Patterson Hodges, 34, of Darlington, pleaded guilty in Lexington County Circuit Court last week to attempted murder for the Feb. 18 attack, which started with a verbal exchange at a home in Gaston, according to a release from the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

During the exchange, Hodges hit the victim in the back of the head with a hammer as the victim walked away, according to the release. The victim lost consciousness for a few moments, and when he came to, he realized Hodges was hitting him with the hammer on his head, face, back and chest while he was on the ground.

Witnesses at the scene corroborated the victim’s account and told investigators Hodges also was kicking the victim in the chest during the attack.

Hodges confessed to attacking the victim and told Lexington County sheriff’s investigators that the hammer was right in his face, so he grabbed it, according to the release. Hodges told investigators he “flipped and started hitting” the victim.

Prosecutors say the victim spent several days in the hospital and, in addition to being treated with a chest tube, suffered a collapsed lung, a fractured rib and scalp and facial lacerations.

Hodges had two prior convictions for manufacturing methamphetamine, four counts of second-degree burglary (violent) and several property crimes, according to the solicitor’s office. He faced up to 30 years in prison for the attempted murder charge.