Ex-Marshall principal pleads guilty
By Mallory Panuska

BENTON — Kent Barlow will never teach again, prosecutors say, after the former South Marshall Middle School principal pleaded guilty Tuesday to assault and kidnapping charges.

Barlow is set to spend 10 years in prison stemming from a mid-March incident when he reportedly held, threatened and assaulted, inside his home, a woman with which he once had a long-term relationship.

Commonwealth Attorney Mark Blankenship said Barlow will be eligible for parole in two years under the plea agreement that Marshall Circuit Judge Dennis Foust accepted on Tuesday. Barlow was in court with his attorney, Emily Roark, and Foust set his sentencing for 8:30 a.m. Aug. 31.

Barlow pleaded guilty to one charge each of unlawful imprisonment, wanton endangerment and assault. According to police reports, the victim accused Barlow of becoming angry and threatening her with two pistols. She said she tried to escape that night, and Barlow tackled her and forced her to stay in the house. She escaped to a neighbor’s house the next morning.

Barlow reportedly had a relationship with the victim for roughly 31⁄2 years before breaking up with her prior to the incident, Blankenship said. She went over to Barlow’s house that night to spend time with him but things took a bad turn when he learned about another man she was seeing while they were separated.

Blankenship said the details of the case were revealed — and the plea agreement negotiated — during a mediation session. He said Barlow and the victim faced each other in an emotional exchange during the session.

“They had dialogue during the process,”Blankenship said. “She got to vent, and he got to apologize.”

Roark said that Barlow is remorseful and was glad he was able to apologize to the victim.

“He can’t take it back, but he sure wishes he can,” Roark said. “He’s doing whatever he can to make up for what he’s done to the community and to her.
“I don’t think he’ll ever have closure because it is a horrible thing that happened, but he’s happy he got to apologize. It’s something he wanted to do for a long time.”

Barlow also faced a sex offense charge stemming from the incident, but Blankenship said the victim opted to drop it during the plea negotiations. He said that the victim did not see Barlow as a sexual predator and did not think it was right that he would have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, which he would have had to do with a conviction on the charge.

Blankenship said the Barlow case was not like many other cases of its kind, with the maximum sentences placed on both of the charges he pleaded.

“It was a very unusual case,” he said. “Obviously the sex offense was the most severe but he got the maximum for unlawful imprisonment and wanton endangerment.”

Each offense carried maximum sentences of five years, which will run consecutive under the plea.

Blankenship said Barlow also will not be permitted to work in a school again after his release because of the felony convictions. Roark said that Barlow has come to terms with that and plans to pursue other career options once he is out of jail.

“He wants to work, he wants to get out and give back to the community and make amends for what he’s done,” Roark said.”He is very remorseful for what happened, and he always will be.”

Roark said she plans to file a motion for probation at Barlow’s sentencing and hopes that the judge will grant it.