On November 4, 2009 in courtroom 1 at the Cache County Courthouse and before the Honorable Judge Clint S. Judkins in the First District Court, Steven Arthur Hedlin, Sr. plead guilty to Third Degree Felony Assault. He is scheduled for sentencing on January 4, 2009.
Thus ends this chapter of the saga.
I am still scheduled for what I hope to be my last surgery to try to correct the damage done by this assault. I have been told I will never fully regain my vision. But, I can move on now and work toward the things I wanted to do that I still can.
Do I hate him for this? No. I feel sorry for him in some ways. Steven will never have the peace of mind I have. Nor will he have the love and loyalty of friends and family that I have been so blessed with. I would like to believe that is because I have shown my friends and family the loyalty they have returned to me.
So - the time line goes as such...
Leah Adkins married Steven Arthur Hedlin, Sr. on April 26, 2008
Within 24 hours the drinking and verbal abuse began. In just over 24 hours he was screaming that he was leaving us - he didn't deserve to have to live with us. I wish he had.
I had been the sole support of our family financially. Steven got his first Pell grant check and went out drinking that night - Monday, October 27, 2008.
When Steven arrived home - intoxicated - he decided to throw another of his screaming fits. After calling me names for 15 to 20 minutes, with the vulgarities escalating, I decided I had taken enough and slapped him across the face as he was going toward his truck. I turned to tell him to never call me names like that again when he punched me.
These pictures are on hour after the assault and a day and a half after the assault respectively. I never hid the fact that I slapped him, but I think any woman would have. It was a slap, not a punch. There was no fist involved and it wasn't even hard enough to leave a mark. However, he punched me in the face and then grabbed me by the throat and screamed at me to never touch him again and then let me go.
I don't know how I stayed on my feet, but I managed. I can attest that one really does "see stars" in the form of bursts of light that are inexplicable.
Over the course of the next year, week, and day, Steven turned down plea deals four times, insisting it was self-defense and that I had "run into his hand" or he had "inadvertently hit me in the face" with his hand. He played games in the courtroom both during the criminal hearings and also during the Protective Order hearing. I think he honestly viewed himself as the victim and he still refused to admit he had a drinking problem.
Through it all, I missed seven months of work and will have four surgeries in exactly one year.
The only thing left is the sentencing hearing. I have been told I will be an active part of that. I'm ready, I think.
While I wish Steven no ill will, I would love to see him pay a price. I hope he can learn that his behavior is what causes the issues in his relationships, that his drinking is a major problem. He doesn't realize how many times he had black-out drunks while we were married. The situation is very sad!
I, however, am moving on. I have grown as an individual. I have learned to value and appreciate little things more. This has turned into a huge growing experience for me and I have made new goals and met other goals. There's still a long way to go, but I'll get there!
I am, in fact, LOVING life! Every day there is something to celebrate and I can see so many tiny miracles as the days go by!Thank you, my friends!
And please, help me by raising your voice against domestic violence. Stop the yelling, the screaming, the threats, and the hitting, shoving, and pushing. If you see it, let it be known that it's not acceptable behavior. Love and peace start at home. We need to teach our sons and daughters this is NOT OKAY! Be the example!
Act from LOVE with PEACE!
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