Cole County man charged with domestic assault, threw screwdriver at victim

The Cole County Sheriff’s Department was called to a domestic disturbance on Thursday.

Matthew Mcilwain had left the scene by foot before officers got there, and he was found and detained on the 1600 block of Westview Drive.

Mcilwain and the victim live together, are in a relationship and have two children together. According to the probable cause statement, the victim and Mcilwain got into an argument about her moving out of their home.

Mcilwain threw a screwdriver at the victim, causing her to bleed. They continued to argue, and Mcilwain proceeded to push her down the stairs and hit her in the head with an encyclopedia.

Mcilwain told officers that he did throw a screwdriver at the victim, but that it didn’t hit her and that she must’ve caused the injury herself. Mcilwain also claimed that the fight was just verbal and never got physical.