(Reuters) – A Las Vegas judge sentenced boxer Floyd Mayweather yesterday to six months behind bars for a 2010 attack on the mother of his children, but half of that jail term was suspended, officials said.
Mayweather, the World Boxing Council welterweight champion, pleaded guilty to one count of battery and no contest to two counts of harassment after reaching a deal with prosecutors, said Mary Ann Price, spokeswoman for the Clark County Courts.
Those charges were part of a criminal complaint against Mayweather, 34, that originally included charges of robbery, grand larceny and coercion over an altercation at the home of his former girlfriend, Josie Harris.
Las Vegas Judge Melissa Saragosa sentenced Mayweather to six months in jail, but she only ordered him to serve three months behind bars, officials said.
Saragosa suspended the other three months of the sentence, but if he is arrested again or fails to complete certain parts of his sentence he would have to spend those three months in jail, said Tess Driver, spokeswoman for the Clark County District Attorney’s Office which prosecuted the case.
The judge ordered Mayweather to complete 100 hours of community service and attend a 12-month domestic violence programme, officials said.
Mayweather, who lives in Las Vegas, must report to court on Jan. 6 to be transferred to jail, officials said.
An attorney for Mayweather could not be reached for comment.
Mayweather originally faced a maximum sentence of over 30 years in jail in the case, Driver said.
A criminal complaint against Mayweather states he battered Harris in November 2010, when he grabbed her by the hair, threw her to the floor and struck her. The robbery and larceny charges against Mayweather related to allegations that he took Harris’ cell phone.
Five-division world champion Mayweather, a flamboyant fighter renowned for his trash-talking before bouts, is widely regarded as the best defensive fighter of his generation.
The boxer known as “Money” improved his professional record to a perfect 42-0, including 26 knockouts, with a fourth-round knockout of Victor Ortiz in Las Vegas in September to claim the World Boxing Council welterweight title.
He is due back in court for a separate case next week, when he is expected to plead guilty to a charge of misdemeanor battery against a security guard, Driver said. That would carry a $1,000 fine, she said.
