Freeland man charged with attempted rape

A Freeland man is accused of beating a 23-year-old woman with a piece of firewood, cutting her with a knife and trying to rape her while she was handcuffed, according to court documents.

Maurice Bandy, 49, is being held in Island County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Prosecutors charged Bandy in Island County Superior Court Feb. 6 with attempted rape in the first degree and assault in the second degree with sexual motivation. The crimes were charged as being domestic-violence related.

If convicted of the charges, Bandy could face from 10 years to life in prison under the standard sentencing range.

A report by a deputy with the Island County Sheriff’s Office states that Bandy assaulted his girlfriend at a rural Oak Harbor home because she was leaving him. He struck her across the face with a piece of firewood and cut her arms with a knife, causing “substantial injuries,” the deputy’s report states.

He restrained her in handcuffs against her will and sexually assaulted her, the report states. The woman said Bandy took her phone from her so she used a tablet to contact her parents for help; she said she feared for her life, according to court documents.

Bandy told police that he had been asleep and “had no idea what was going on,” the deputy wrote.