A Cordova man went on trial Tuesday for what investigators say was a 2008 robbery attempt in which he was shot in the face with his own weapon.

Jerrel Sweat, 20, is charged with first-degree burglary in connection with a robbery attempt that was foiled when the intended victims disarmed their attackers and drove them off.

Prosecutors say Sweat was one of three men who invaded a Margaret Way home on Aug. 21, 2008. Sweat is the only one charged in the case. Two others remain at large, police say.

Don Sorenson, who is prosecuting the case for the 1st Circuit Solicitor’s Office, said in his opening statements Tuesday that a homeowner has the right to expect security within the walls of his or her home.

“You’re going to hear how one of three began to run, turn and fire a shot back into the home,” Sorenson said. “The evidence is going to ultimately point to Jerrel Sweat’s guilt.”

Defense attorney Gerald Davis, however, said that evidence may not point to his client.

“Keep in mind that Mr. Sweat, like anybody else, is presumed to be innocent,” Davis said. “I submit to you that when this trial is over, there will be a reasonable doubt.”

Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office Lt. John Stokes testified that he arrived on the scene at about 11:33 p.m. to find Sweat being held on the ground by the victims, four individuals who were inside the home at the time of the incident.

“Describe for the jury what kind of condition he was in,” Sorenson said.

“He had a wound,” Stokes said.

“What kind of wound?”

“Gunshot.”

At the time of the incident, the victims, three family members and a friend, were at the residence when three masked and armed men forced their way into the house.

A woman in the home said a gunman she identified as Sweat put a handgun to her head and stated, “Give it up,” according to the incident report. A dog charged the men and was shot, the report states.

Two men inside the home then jumped the gunman who shot the dog, overpowering him and taking his weapon. In the melee, one of the victims fired the weapon, striking the gunman in the jaw.

The other two gunmen, upon seeing their stricken cohort, fled the home, getting into a gray Ford Taurus and speeding away.

Circuit Court Judge William Seals is presiding at the trial, which is to resume today.

T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5516. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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