NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — After searching through his partner’s phone, a man beat and strangled his partner in front of their child, reports said.

30-year-old Shantai Lancaster was sentenced on Friday to serve one year and seven months in prison after pleading guilty to felony third-offense assault and battery of a family member for beating the mother of his child in a hotel last year.

On July 8, 2023, the couple and their child were staying in a hotel room when Lancaster looked through the victim’s phone as she was sleeping.

Lancaster woke up the victim and attacked her. She was reportedly hit, strangled and kicked. Lancaster also slammed her head against the floor, spit on her and used objects in the hotel room to beat her.

The woman pressed charged for misdemeanor domestic assault, and Norfolk Police arrested Lancaster the following month. Due to two prior convictions of misdemeanor domestic assault, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office secured a direct indictment from a grand jury in May 2024 to elevate Lancaster’s charge to felony third-offense assault and battery of a family member.

Lancaster initially pleaded not guilty to his felony charge in early August and opted to be tried by a judge. During the victim’s testimony at his trial, Lancaster decided to withdraw his plea of not guilty and instead plead guilty as charged.

On Friday, Lancaster was sentenced to serve one year and seven months in prison and suspended another one year and five months on the conditions that Lancaster have no hostile contact with the victim and that Lancaster complete three years of uniform good behavior and supervised probation following his release.