An Alabama man who doused his girlfriend with vodka before setting her on fire was handed the maximum sentence for his crimes.
43-year-old Daniel N. Pace was found guilty on charges of aggravated battery and aggravated domestic battery by a jury two months ago. Tenth Circuit Judge Stephen A. Kouri delivered the maximum sentence of 60 years in prison to Pace on Wednesday.
The court determined that Pace had acted with "exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior, indicative of wanton cruelty."
"During the one-day bench trial, the victim bravely recounted the events of August 19, 2022. At that time, she was living with Pace in the Landmark Apartment Complex. The two had an argument, during which Pace grabbed a bottle of vodka, poured it over her head, and then flicked a lighter—not once, but twice—setting her ablaze. She immediately fell to the floor, and Pace used a blanket to extinguish the fire," relayed a press release from the State Attorney's office.
"During the investigation, Pace provided multiple accounts of the incident, consistently blaming the victim by saying she had set herself on fire. Even during the trial, Pace took the stand and presented a different version of events, this time claiming he accidentally set her on fire while she was lying in bed. However, this claim was refuted during testimony by the lead detective, who noted that there were no burn marks on the bed, only on the floor of the apartment, and pictures shown during the trial not only revealed burns to the front and side of her body, but also on her backside as well," the release continued.
The victim is suffered burns covering 30% of her body "including third-degree burns on 19% of her skin."
She also wrote a victim impact statement which was described as "powerful" after it was read aloud in court, describing the impact of the attack on her day to day life.
"She's lost two jobs, and she may never be able to work again due to her injuries," prosecutors wrote in the release. "The physical pain remains a daily struggle, but it's not just the burns that have affected her; it's the emotional, mental, and financial toll as well. Years later, she continues to battle daily pain and struggles to trust others, adding that it is something she wouldn't wish on anyone."
