A local man was sentenced in the Allen County Common Pleas Court following a conviction for domestic violence.

Christopher C. Smallwood, 34, originally pled not guilty to an indictment of domestic violence, which is a fourth degree felony. A prior conviction for domestic violence elevated this crime to a felony.

Smallwood later changed his plea, and pled guilty to the charged crime. Smallwood was sentenced Dec. 13, by Judge Jeffrey L. Reed to 120 days in the Allen County Jail, barred from consuming or indulging in any alcoholic or illegal drug, required to obtain employment, complete treatment/counseling, and submit to random drug testing. Smallwood was given credit for 60 days already served in jail.

Bluffton police responded to the 200 block of North Lawn Avenue to a reported domestic disturbance call at 5 a.m. on Sept. 4, 2010. Police officers found Smallwood's 32-year-old wife bleeding from wounds encountered during the assault.

She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Smallwood's young children were also home during the struggle but were uninjured. Children's Services representatives were also contacted to investigate the situation to ensure continued safety of the children, according to the Bluffton police.