A Hawarden, Iowa man has again been sentenced to four years in prison for beating an 11-year-old boy.
37-year-old Matthew Spaans was re-sentenced Monday in Sioux County District Court.
The Iowa Appeals Court in December ordered a re-sentencing after ruling that the trial judge considered an improper factor a year ago when sentencing Spaans the first time.
Spaans and his wife Nina pleaded guilty to four counts of child endangerment.
Nina Spaans received a four-year suspended prison sentence and was placed on two years’ probation.
Court records say Matthew Spaans beat his stepson with his hands, a 56-inch sword and another item.
The documents say the boy was told to make up stories about his bruises or his next beating would be worse.
AP
