De Soto, MO – A 31-year-old man entered a residence he previously shared with his ex-girlfriend and attacked her while she was sleeping. Christopher Brayton allegedly climbed into bed with her, stated “I’m home,” and then proceeded to threaten to kill her, according to court documents.
Brayton faces domestic assault charges stemming from two incidents occurring in October. These charges are in addition to another pending case involving separate incidents from June and July.
On Monday, Brayton appeared in court regarding the October events, which are detailed in a probable cause statement. The victim reported that on the morning of October 16, she was awakened around 8 a.m. by someone in bed beside her.
Despite having obtained an order of protection against Brayton, he allegedly returned to the home and hid the victim’s cellphone to prevent her from calling for help. Police state he prevented her from leaving the bedroom for hours.
After some time, the victim managed to escape, but Brayton allegedly followed her, pushing and slapping her. He reportedly threw her to the ground multiple times as she attempted to reach her car.
The probable cause statement indicates Brayton restrained the victim by grabbing her and placing his hand around her neck, making it difficult for her to breathe. Upon police arrival, Brayton allegedly threatened to kill her before being taken into custody.
A separate apparent abuse incident occurred on June 17 when Brayton reportedly attacked the victim after waking in a “manic mood.” He allegedly grabbed her by the hair and struck her several times before throwing her into a closet.
Brayton is currently out on bond and is scheduled to return to court for both cases on January 5.