Former Penn State student sentenced to prison for strangling a woman in residence hall

A former Penn State undergraduate who assaulted a fellow student was sentenced Friday to a minimum of five years in state prison on a charge of felony strangulation.

Preston J. Brindle, 19, of Chester County also received a consecutive five years for a first degree misdemeanor for unlawful restraint and another five years for misdemeanor terroristic threats. The deal reached with prosecutors means he will serve a minimum of five years behind bars, with the possibility of up to 10 years in prison, and will spend a total of 20 years under legal supervision, according to Assistant District Attorney Joshua Andrews.

Last July, police wrote in an affidavit that Brindle assaulted a woman and followed her back to her residence hall after he “became angry with her.” In a statement to police, the woman said that Brindle threatened to kill her and digitally penetrated her.

Lisa Powers, a Penn State spokesperson, said that Brindle had not been enrolled at the university since August 2022.

“Should he wish to return,” she wrote, “the matter would first need to be addressed by the Office of Student Accountability and Response.”

Brindle’s defense lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.