A 37-year-old Port Royal man was sentenced to 20 years in prison on May 21, 2013 for the home invasion and attempted rape of his downstairs neighbor.
At the conclusion of a two-day trial, jurors convicted Frederick Mcleod of first-degree burglary and first degree assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct. On the afternoon of August 16, 2012, Mcleod, who was intoxicated, approached his 29-year-old neighbor as she returned to a house on Paris Avenue in Port Royal that had been converted into several apartments. She brushed him off and went inside to get ready for work. A few minutes later, she heard a knock at her door. She cracked the door open and Mcleod burst through. He pushed her down on the bed and groped and kissed her. The victim told him to stop and was eventually able to break free. Mcleod lost his balance and fell into a wall. He threatened her by indicating
he would be waiting for her when she returned from work later that night.
Mcleod was arrested a short time later in his apartment and has remained in the Beaufort County Detention Center ever since.
“I am really proud of the victim for having the courage to confront her attacker,” said administrative solicitor Hunter Swanson, who prosecuted the case along with assistant solicitor Price Sumner. “I am also proud of the jury for getting this right and holding Mr. Mcleod accountable for his actions.”
Judge Brooks Goldsmith handed down the sentence, which by law, will require that Mcleod serve at least 85 percent before being eligible for any sort of early release.
