After years of domestic violence allegations, a Johns Island man was sentenced to 20 years in prison on multiple charges earlier this month. However, his lawyer filed a motion on November 15 asking the judge to reconsider the long prison sentence.

Dean Lamar Clement has been accused and sometimes convicted numerous times since 2015. Attack on a woman in his life and once on his son. Clement, who was last released on bail on attempted murder charges, was arrested again months later for stalking her.

Clement pleaded guilty Nov. 6 to attempted murder, stalking and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He faces about 17 years in prison, according to court records and the S.C. Department of Corrections.

The end point of domestic violence

In February 2021, Clement reportedly slashed the left side of the victim’s neck, according to an incident report. The two were at his home on River Road on Johns Island when an argument broke out.

According to the incident report and consent affidavit, Clement’s mother was on the phone when she heard the fight, followed by a harsh tension. When he returned, he saw the victim screaming in the hallway. That Clement stabbed him. The affidavit states he saw blood coming from the victim’s neck.

Clement left the home but returned a short time later while Charleston County Sheriff’s deputies were on the scene, records show. Clement admitted stabbing the victim, who was unarmed and posed no threat to himself. He told officers he wasn’t sure why this happened but that he was “emotionally hurt by the words (the victim) said,” according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Clement remained in prison for months, but on September 10, 2021 Clement was released on bail provided that he has no contact with the victim or her children. Two months later he was leaving a voicemail and showed up at work.

On Nov. 11, 2021, after calling her job and leaving a voicemail six minutes apart, she called police to report the harassment, according to an arrest warrant. In the following days, Clement called and left another voicemail, then showed up at the victim’s workplace on November 17. His co-workers had to stop him from entering the “employee-only” area.

Clement was arrested on a stalking charge in the early morning hours of Nov. 18, 2021, according to inmate records. Clement was granted bail again, this time in December 2023. The judge ordered GPS monitoring and ordered Clement not to contact the victim as conditions of bail.

Clement was taken into custody again on August 13, 2024, upon the prosecutor’s request to cancel the bail, due to numerous violations of the bail conditions. The motion states that Clement not only continued to communicate with the victim, failed to comply with curfew and increased GPS violations. Clement “was an unreasonable danger to the community” according to movement.

After nearly three months in jail, Clement decided to plead guilty earlier this month. There was no long prison sentence for the first domestic violence offense. It was learned that Clement had previously been arrested for domestic violence and had at least two convictions.

In January 2017, Clement was sentenced to two years of probation for assaulting his son the day before the boy’s birthday, according to court records and an arrest warrant. Clement strangled his son and threatened him with a knife. His son’s right hand was sliced ​​as he tried to take the knife from Clement, according to testimony.

In October 2015, Clement was sentenced to one year of probation for pushing and choking his partner at their Johns Island home, according to court records.

Clement also had felony and felony convictions for assault and battery in 2006 and 2007, and pleaded guilty in 2008. He was sentenced to a total of two years probation.