HANCOCK COUNTY — He called it the biggest reality check of his life and admitted that his conviction on domestic violence charges was probably the best thing that could have happened to him in his quest to become a better person.
Steven Mcaloon, 35, of the 6000 block of West U.S. 52, was sentenced late last week on five counts — including three felonies — but will spend no time in prison. Instead, he will go through Hancock County Community Corrections either on work release or home detention for three years.
Mcaloon was convicted in November during a bench trial in Hancock County Circuit Court. Judge Scott Sirk, who presided at the trial and handed down the sentence, told him he has a chance to change his life. “With hard work, you can cure yourself,” Sirk told Mcaloon. “No one can change that but you.”
Macloon’s time in jail before the trial and the guilty verdict were a wake-up call, Mcaloon told Sirk. He said he was in denial about his life and his actions right up to the time Sirk found him guilty. During the sentencing hearing on Thursday, Jan. 9, Mcaloon admitted he has a substance abuse addiction as well as anger issues he must deal with.
He has since apologized to the victim for his actions from the incident in the summer of 2018, he said.
The victim testified on behalf of Mcaloon during the sentencing hearing and both the woman and Mcaloon’s defense attorney, Mitchell Solomon of Indianapolis, told the court the incident would not have happened had Mcaloon not been using methamphetamine.
As part of his sentencing Mcaloon agreed to seek counseling for his drug abuse and anger issues. Deputy prosecutor Adriana Zeljkovic had no objection to the terms of the sentencing following a pre-sentence investigation and recommendation from the county’s probation department.
“I apologize to the court for taking its time,” Mcaloon said. He then thanked Sirk for helping him face the hard facts about his life.
“This is going to be a new beginning,” Mcaloon said.
According to an affidavit, Mcaloon became aggressive and threatened to harm the woman during a confrontation, pointing a gun at her and telling her, “You’re gonna die tonight.” The affidavit also stated the woman told police Mcaloon slammed her to the ground and grabbed at her phone, breaking her left pinky and ring fingers.
He was convicted of five criminal charges, including a Level 5 felony count of intimidation and Level 6 counts of pointing a firearm at another person and domestic battery resulting in moderate bodily injury. He also was convicted of two misdemeanors.
Sirk sentenced Mcaloon to five years in the Indiana Department of Correction for the Level 5 felony. The judge said Mcaloon will serve three years through either work release or home detention depending on what the director of the program determines is best for Mcaloon and the community. Two years of the term were suspended.
Mcaloon was also given 540 days sentences for each of the two Level 6 felonies and 180 days for two Class A misdemeanors. Those terms will run concurrently with the three-year sentence.
