By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
CONNEAUT— A Conneaut woman charged in connection with an underage drinking party at her home in September will spend 30 days in jail and has been ordered to leave town, according to Conneaut Municipal Court records.
Irene Metcalf, 46, 505 Middle Road, was sentenced Tuesday afternoon at what was to have been her preliminary hearing on a felony charge of tampering with evidence. Instead, a plea arrangement was approved by prosecution and defense, clearing the way for Judge Thomas Harris to hand down his sentence.
In addition to the felony, Metcalf also faced misdemeanor charges of furnishing alcohol to underage persons and obstruction of justice. As a result of the plea bargain, the felony was dropped, according to court documents.
She was sentenced to 180 days in jail on the furnishing alcohol charge, but 150 days were conditionally suspended, meaning she will serve 30 days behind bars. Metcalf begins her jail sentence Thursday morning, a court spokeswoman said.
Additionally, she was placed on five years unsupervised community control and banned from Conneaut for five years. She may return to town to attend her son's high school graduation, according to documents.
On the obstruction charge, a 90-day jail sentence was suspended for the same conditions, according to documents.
Metcalf faced a maximum five-year jail sentence on the felony and a combined one year in jail on the misdemeanors.
The sentence was handed down without comment from Metcalf, attorneys or Harris, according to reports. Ashtabula attorney Malcolm Stewart Douglas represented Metcalf, while assistant law director Luke Gallagher handled the prosecution.
"It was a good resolution for the city," Gallagher said afterwards. "We're sending the message we will not tolerate this kind of behavior from adults."
Police were dispatched to Metcalf's house early on the morning of Sept. 27, and observed through windows and doors young people drinking beer, according to a report. While police knocked on the door, Metcalf could be seen moving from room to room, gathering bottles and cups, officers said.
When she finally opened the door, Metcalf initially said no alcohol was present, then changed her story, telling police she was asleep upstairs and unaware of any drinking.
Officers gave breath tests to the party-goers, resulting in citations to 13 juveniles and five underage adults, according to reports.
