Christopher Weekes found guilty of burglary of a habitation; receives 53-year prison sentence.
It took an Erath County jury only 15 minutes on Wednesday to find Christopher Weekes guilty of burglary of a habitation with intent to commit assault.
On Thursday, that same jury handed down a stiff penalty: 53 years in prison.
Opening arguments in the case began in the 266th Judicial District Court on Tuesday with District Attorney Alan Nash presenting evidence that Weekes broke into a neighbor’s house in March 2021 with the intent to commit assault.
That neighbor, Janice Wood, lived just outside of Huckabay and was friends with Christopher Weekes’ mother, Sharon Weekes.
Lt. Tye Box with the Erath County Sheriff’s Office testified that on the night of March 25, 2021, he responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting a disturbance at Wood’s home.
The caller, Janice Wood, told the 9-1-1 dispatcher that Weekes was attempting to break into her home, where Weekes’ mother was also living at the time.
Lt. Box told jurors that by the time he arrived at the residence, Weekes had kicked in three locked doors inside the home to reach the women who were hiding in a back bedroom.
Nash presented jurors with photos of the damaged doors and played Wood’s frantic 9-1-1 call for help.
"They were terrified of him to the point that they locked three doors, hid from him and called 9-1-1,” Nash said. “His intentions were not good.”
Sharon Weekes refused to cooperate with the investigation after her son was arrested, and Janice Wood testified as a “reluctant witness.”
Weekes’ attorney Brady Pendleton declined to call any witnesses to the stand.
Nash spoke to Beneath the Surface News following the jury’s 53-year sentence.
“It’s never a happy day when someone has to go to prison, but sometimes it’s necessary in order to protect our neighbors and community,” Nash said.
This was not the first time Weekes has run into legal trouble.
He was previously convicted of two felonies; leaving the scene of an accident involving injury and violating a protective order.
Weekes has also been charged and indicted for arson after allegedly burning down his mother’s home in April and a barn on her property two weeks later.
That case is still pending, but given Weekes’ lengthy prison sentence, Nash said he is not sure whether he will move forward with plans to prosecute.
