John Ludwig, Junior will stay out of prison after a court hearing Friday morning in Greenville.
Judge James Williams, Jr. has denied a motion by the 13th Circuit Solicitor to reconsider the sentence against Ludwig, Jr. for a reckless homicide conviction Friday morning in a Greenville court.
He was sentenced to three years probation - and no jail time - after pleading guilty to the charge previously.
Ludwig pleaded guilty Friday to assault and battery high and aggravated in a separate burglary charge against him. Judge Williams sentenced Ludwig, Jr. to five years in prison that was reduced to three years probation.
Bengy Brown, the victim in the assault and battery case, told the judge how scared he was the night Ludwig broke in his apartment in July of 2008. Brown was romantically involved with Ludwig's ex-wife at the time.
"It was clear that he wasn't there to talk to me. He was there to hurt me," said Brown in open court. He claimed Ludwig has not followed his bond at all. Brown says Ludwig contacted him over 50 times and offered to pay him for dropping charges.
Brown says his life is "forever changed" by what Ludwig did.
Ludwig's attorney says it started because his client discovered his wife was having an affair with Brown. Ludwig says he found evidence of the affair and tried to approach his ex-wife and Brown about it.
Ludwig was sentenced after pleading guilty to reckless homicide in the death of Frederic Bardsley of Greenville. Bardsley was killed April 25 after Ludwig's Maserati hurtled through a field, launched off an embankment and plowed into the back of Bardsley's home.
Ludwig's attorneys say he lost control after swerving to miss deer.
13th Circuit Solicitor Bob Arial released a statment Friday, saying his office is satisfied that the judge seriously considered their motion, and they he accepts the ruling. As for the decision to allow Ludwig to plead guilty on the Assault charge, Arial said he believed it more accurately reflected the nature of the crime.
Friday court reporting by Melissa Keeney
Portions of a story by The Associated Press were used in this report
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