A Sparta Street resident who hospitalized his victim twice over an eight-month span has entered a best-interest plea in Circuit Court and will serve two years in jail.

Coy Michael Tyson, 32, had faced 18 counts of aggravated and domestic assault and entered pleas to five of those counts. He was ordered to serve 720 days of an eight-year sentence by Judge Bart Stanley.

“This is what happens when you stay in a situation and think it will get better,” said assistant district attorney Taffy Seagraves. “She finally made the decision to get out and she’s doing so much better now. This had been going on for about eight months and it was really long-standing, ongoing abuse.”

Seagraves said the victim was hospitalized following two of the assaults because her injuries were so severe. She said prosecutors suspected what happened during the first hospitalization but the victim refused to cooperate.

The second time she was hospitalized she decided to reveal the abuse.

“We only decided to charge for the incidents which were most serious and that could be backed up by medical records,” said Seagraves.

The injuries included fractures to the victim’s hand and foot, a collapsed lung, burns and bruises.

Tyson has been in jail since his arrest Jan. 10. Seagraves pointed out he has no prior criminal record and this was his first brush with the law.