Man charged with trying to smother wife

PROVO — A Payson man is charged with attempted murder for allegedly trying to smother his pregnant wife.

Prosecutors filed charges earlier this week against Jarom Joel Braithwaite, 27, who placed a pillow over his wife's face in April after she refused to have sex with him.

The man had been watching pornography, then demanded that his wife take off her clothes so they could have sex, according to a police report filed in 4th District Court.

She said she told him no, because she was 8 1/2 months pregnant, after which he hit her in the arm and neck, according to the report.

The woman yelled for help and struggled to remove the pillow until she passed out. When she awoke, Braithwaite was gone and never mentioned the event again.

Two months later, the woman said her husband was watching pornography of women being tied up and raped. She left and took a shower, according to the report.

When she came out in her bathrobe, Braithwaite grabbed her and forced her into his room, according to the report.

She was struggling and yelling that she needed to get to the baby, but Braithwaite ignored her and forced her to have sexual intercourse. He then forced her to perform another sex act, according to the report.

Braithwaite is charged with two first-degree felonies of rape and forcible sodomy, as well as the second-degree attempted murder charge.

Utah County Public Defenders Association attorney Lisa Crawford is appointed to Braithwaite's case. She received the case Wednesday morning and hadn't met with her client. She was also waiting on a police report.

Braithwaite has two pending cases in 4th District Court with another public defender.

It is common for the courts and the Public Defenders Association to combine cases, or keep cases together, so they can be heard by the same judge, Crawford said.

In the earliest case, Braithwaite is charged with 10 second-degree felonies of sexual exploitation of a minor for allegedly having child pornography on his home computer.

His second case, with a third-degree witness tampering charge, stems from alleged threats to his wife from jail.

Braithwaite told his wife that if she cooperated with the Utah County Attorney's Office and the police, Braithwaite would not only divorce her but have her killed, according to the police report filed in 4th District Court.

Braithwaite will be in court again on Aug.ust 15, or possibly Aug.ust 16, if the cases are linked, Crawford said.

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