A north Fayette man was convicted Tuesday of shooting his longtime girlfriend at their home in June.

A jury found Christopher Q. McDaniel, 29, of 350 Carriage Drive, guilty of aggravated assault and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Fayette County Superior Court Judge Johnnie L. Caldwell.

The jury also found McDaniel not guilty of cruelty to children in the third degree, a charge that alleged he committed the assault in front of the couple’s four children.

The conviction was noteworthy since the victim refused to cooperate with prosecutors, said Assistant District Attorney Lura Landis. Instead, the victim’s mother, who dragged her out of the residence after she was shot, testified in the case.

EMTs who treated the victim also testified, Landis said.

Landis said the SWAT team had to raid the home about two hours after the shooting, after the children walked out and officers initially couldn’t find McDaniel inside the home. He was later discovered hiding in the attic under insulation, Landis said.

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