Springfield man accused of taking away walker to sexually assault injured woman

A Springfield man is accused of sexually assaulting a woman who couldn’t flee because she had limited mobility with a broken leg.

Joshua McGath, 33, was charged with gross sexual imposition, domestic violence and assault in Clark County Municipal Court this week. He pleaded not guilty, and his bond was set at $7,500.

Police began their investigation on Saturday when they were called to a home in the 900 block of Barker Drive for a report that a man was refusing to leave the home.

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“Upon arrival, officers located a vehicle parked in the driveway of the residence that came back to Mr. McGath,” an affidavit filed with the charge says. “Officers stood outside the residence and listened for approximately one or two minutes and heard talking. An officer was able to hear inside the residence through a plastic area that surrounded the window air conditioner unit in the front of the residence. Officer heard a female voice inside the residence say ‘get off me’ followed by ‘I’m gonna call the cops.’”

At that point, the officers began knocking on the door, and soon McGath stepped out on the front porch. He was detained, the affidavit says. Officers saw a woman had a broken leg along with other injuries that prevented her from walking, the report says.

The woman said she knew McGath but he pushed her walker out of the room so she couldn’t get away, the report says.

“Officers witnessed the walker sitting in the hallway outside the bedroom door where (the woman) was located not within her reach,” the report says.

While the woman was lying in bed, he began to undress, get in bed with her and sexually assault her, the affidavit says,.

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“(The victim) stated she begged Mr. McGath to get off of her because she was in pain due to her injuries,” the report says. ” When Mr. McGath got off of her she stated she called a friend and asked for help. (The victim) stated while she was on the phone Mr. McGath placed his hand around her neck and began to choke her.”

He is also accused of kicking her broken leg, according to the affidavit.

The victim told police the suspect was in bed with her when police knocked on the door. She said he pulled out a gun and hid it in a pile of clothes, and the gun was recovered at the scene, the affidavit says.

McGath told officers the two had an on-again, off-again intimate relationship, the affidavit says.

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