A Tarrant County judge has sentenced an ex-con with a history of domestic violence to 40 years in prison for igniting a fire inside his estranged wife’s car.
State District Judge Louis Sturns assessed Roy Robertson Mallard Jr.’s punishment on Wednesday evening. Earlier in the day, a jury deliberated about 75 minutes before convicting Mallard of arson.
During the trial, prosecutors Miles Brissette and Lucas Allan presented evidence that Mallard and his wife had an eight-year tumultuous relationship.
She had left him on numerous occasions, and at times, she and her two children sought refuge in shelters.
In the fall of 2010, the woman had just started a new job and was living independently in a house in the 3800 block of Clark Avenue when Mallard began threatening her again.
On Sept. 12, 2010, Mallard was arrested outside his estranged wife’s house for outstanding warrants and public intoxication. Two days later, he left several expletive-laced messages on her phone, threatening to destroy her car.
“I’m fixin’ to set that bitch on fire, you got that,” Mallard said in one message. “….I’m on my way.”
Prosecutors presented evidence that at 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2010, as his estranged wife and children slept, Mallard doused the driver’s seat of his wife’s car with gasoline and set it on fire. Mallard’s vehicle was observed driving past the house with its headlights off.
During his trial, Mallard elected to have Judge Sturns assess his punishment.
After prosecutors presented evidence that Mallard had eight prior felony convictions—two robberies and six drug convictions—Judge Sturns assessed the 40-year prison term. Mallard must serve at least 20 years before he is eligible for parole.
“The take-away from this case is that this victim was able to go into the shelters and come out and succeed in life,” said Assistant District Attorney Miles Brissette. “She is a testament to the value of services available for domestic violence victims.”
