A Pinewood man charged more than three years ago with attempted murder after a 2-year-old child suffered injuries and had to be treated in a Columbia pediatric intensive care unit has pleaded guilty to unlawful neglect of a child or helpless person.
Andrew Billups of 1349 Corbett Road in Pinewood pleaded guilty Monday in Clarendon County 3rd Circuit Court to the offense, receiving a sentence of seven years in prison, suspended to 30 months in prison and three years' probation.
Circuit Court Judge D. Craig Brown heard the plea.
Charges against the young girl's mother, Courtney Chamblerin, also of Pinewood, remain pending. Chamberlin is charged with accessory after the fact to attempted murder and unlawful neglect of a child or a helpless person.
Former Maj. Kipp Coker of the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office said in 2014 that the child was left alone with Billups, who told deputies he found the child unresponsive and in a "seizure-like" state about 7:30 p.m. on the day of the incident.
Deputies responded to Clarendon Memorial Hospital about two hours later, and reported multiple apparent injuries to the child, including bruises and scratches. Doctors confirmed internal injuries. The child was airlifted to Palmetto Richland’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Coker said about two weeks later that the child was "doing well" and was expected to fully recover. Billups was initially arrested the night of the incident on an outstanding family court warrant, but was later charged with attempted murder after deputies saw the extent of the child's injuries.
