Warrant issued for man accused of hitting woman with crowbar

A Corbin man, who is accused of striking a woman with a crowbar and trying to strangle her in late 2014, had a bench warrant issued for his arrest Monday afternoon when he didn’t show up for court.

Whitley Circuit Judge Dan Ballou set a $100,000 cash bond for Michael Taylor, 27, who was indicted on Dec. 15, 2014 on charges of criminal attempt to commit murder, fourth-degree assault, third-degree possession of a controlled substance and for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

If Taylor posts the bond, he will also be required to wear an ankle-monitoring device as a condition of his bond.

During Monday’s hearing, Ballou also allowed Taylor’s attorney, John Reynolds, to withdraw from the case. Taylor had been scheduled to stand trial Sept. 16 on the charges but that trial date will likely be delayed.

On Nov. 2, 2014, Taylor allegedly struck Verna Rose with a crow bar and choked her with the intention to kill her and beat her while he possessed a quantity of Suboxone strips and a shotgun, according to his indictment.

The charges stem from a physical domestic dispute reported to Corbin police that allegedly occurred about 2:31 a.m. on Nov. 2 at a residence off Barton Mill Cutoff Road, according to Taylor’s arrest citation.

When police arrived at the scene, they found a woman bleeding from her head and she told police that Taylor allegedly struck her with a metal crowbar, Corbin Police Lt. Jason Moore wrote on the arrest citation.

When police entered the residence, they discovered Taylor allegedly hiding a shotgun under the bed, Moore wrote.

The victim told police that Taylor allegedly cut her wrist with a knife, struck her in the face several times, choked her and chased her down the hallway with the shotgun telling her he would blow her brains out, Moore wrote in the citation.

Taylor’s possession of a firearm by a convict felon charge stems from a pair of Harlan County convictions.

On May 4, 2012 Taylor was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance in Harlan Circuit Court. On May 7, 2012, he was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and theft by unlawful taking in Harlan Circuit Court, according to his indictment.

Taylor faces up to 20 years in prison on the criminal attempt to commit murder charge.