Man charged with attempted murder

FOUNTAIN — Deputies have arrested a Fountain man who allegedly told officers he planned to torture his girlfriend in front of a mirror so she would be forced to watch before killing her, Bay County Sheriff’s Office reported Monday.

Paul Thomas Carhart, 63, was attempting to leave a Greenbriar Drive home in his car when deputies arrived at 3:40 a.m. Saturday to a domestic battery call. A small group of people in the neighborhood were pointing frantically at the car and calling out for the officers to not let him get away, BCSO reported.

BCSO deputies were able to stop Carhart and put him in a patrol car where he told them he had hurt his girlfriend, officials said.

EMS arrived and began to administer aid to the girlfriend in a neighbor’s home. She appeared to be in severe pain and going in and out of consciousness from having been struck several times in the face. Officials said she also had tape on her left wrist.

The victim was able to communicate to deputies that she and Carhart had been fighting for several hours, and he had restrained her by taping her hands. He then struck her an unknown number of times on her face with his fist, strangling her several times, and telling her he was going to kill her. She managed to get away and fled to the neighbor’s home.

She was transported to a local hospital for additional medical treatment.

When deputies spoke with Carhart he stated that he intended to kill his girlfriend and had fantasized about it for months. He planned first to mutilate and torture her using various tools in front of a mirror so she would be forced to watch, BCSO reported.

Carhart also stated he had just taken 15 sleeping pills, so he was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Upon release, Carhart was charged with attempted murder and false imprisonment and taken to the Bay County Jail.

Carhart had a previous misdemeanor charge of domestic battery from June that was dropped, according to Bay County courthouse documents.