Man Gets 6 Years In Prison For Hammer Attack On Roommate

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) -- A Rockville man who admitted to attacking his roommate with a hammer after learning that his dog had been fatally struck by a car has been sentenced.

The Washington Post reports a judge sentenced 69-year-old Timothy Oliver Wednesday to six years in prison for the August 2014 incident.

Oliver's roommate was caring for his dog when it was accidently hit by a car.

Prosecutor Sherri Koch says Oliver hit the victim in the head with a hammer after bringing the dead dog home from a veterinary clinic.  Koch says the victim suffered a depressed skull fracture and hearing loss.

Oliver pleaded guilty last year to felony assault as part of a plea agreement to drop an attempted murder charge.

Oliver is a former National Institutes of Health computer scientist.

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