Fiancée of Texas coach Chris Beard claims Beard acted in self-defense and ‘didn’t strangle me’

Randi Trew, fiancée of Texas males’s basketball coach Chris Beard, launched an announcement Friday night via her lawyer that recanted some earlier allegations detailed in an official arrest report in opposition to Beard. 

In her assertion Friday, Trew wrote she was the initiator of a “battle” between her and Beard, and mentioned that Beard didn’t strangle her the night time she known as 9-1-1, within the early hours of Dec. 12. Trew additionally wrote “I don’t refute” Beard acted in self-defense the night time of Dec. 12. Austin Police’s arrest report notes that Trew advised police that night time, “I couldn’t breathe, he did it most likely for like 5 seconds.” 

In her assertion Friday, Trew claims she by no means advised police Beard strangled her.

“Chris and I are deeply saddened that we’ve got introduced unfavorable consideration upon our household, associates, and the College of Texas, amongst others,” Trew’s assertion mentioned. “As Chris’ fiancée and largest supporter, I apologize for the function I performed on this unlucky occasion. I notice that my frustration, when breaking his glasses, initiated a bodily battle between Chris and myself. Chris didn’t strangle me, and I advised that to regulation enforcement that night. Chris has said that he was appearing in self-defense, and I don’t refute that. I don’t consider Chris was attempting to deliberately hurt me in any manner. It was by no means my intent to have him arrested or prosecuted. We recognize everybody’s assist and prayers throughout this tough time.”

In accordance with Austin Police’s Dec. 12 affidavit, after the 9-1-1 name dispatched officers to Beard’s residence, Trew advised regulation enforcement authorities that Beard “choked me, threw me up and about, bit me, bruises throughout my leg, throwing me round, and going nuts.”

She advised Austin Police on Dec. 12 she known as for assist as a result of she “simply didn’t really feel secure” after being concerned in a bodily altercation with Beard at their residence. Beard was arrested on a third-degree felony cost. The police labeled the incident as “assault by strangulation/suffocation — household violence.”

Authorities famous a number of wounds and scratches on Trew’s physique that morning. Beard is at present indefinitely suspended with out pay. The College of Texas advised the AP in an announcement: “We’re reviewing the assertion from Randi Trew. This matter is the topic of an inner investigation and the college doesn’t touch upon pending investigations.”

Beard has an emergency protecting order energetic in opposition to him till at the least Feb. 10, 2023. The order, amongst different issues, precludes him from being inside 200 yards of his residence and fiancée. Given it is a home violence case, Texas prosecutors nonetheless have the best to pursue the third-degree felony cost in opposition to Beard, even when Trew requested that cost be dropped. As a result of timing of the assertion’s launch (Friday night the weekend of Christmas), Austin Police’s public data places of work had been closed and no authorities had been obtainable to formally touch upon the case.