Town councilman pleads guilty to domestic violence

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — A Hilton Head Island councilman has pleaded guilty to criminal domestic violence after deputies responded to his home in January.

The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports (http://bit.ly/sc4LbX ) that Town Councilman Bill Ferguson pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge Friday and agreed to complete anger management counseling to avoid jail.

The 63-year-old has been on Town Council since 1993. He had faced a felony charge.

Ferguson initially told a judge he is not guilty and did not hit his wife. He declined to comment after the hearing.

He and his wife of 33 years have three children and still live together.

Deputies responded to their home the night of Jan. 10 after their son reported that his father had a shotgun, and his mother was in the home.

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Information from: The Island Packet, http://www.islandpacket.com