COEUR D’ALENE, ID — A 37-year-old Athol man with a lengthy criminal record has been sentenced to prison following a violent domestic battery case investigated last year, the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced.

Derick Wayne Brunke was convicted of felony domestic battery and misdemeanor possession of marijuana stemming from a July 3, 2024, incident. According to investigators, Brunke allegedly attacked his then-significant other by throwing her onto a bed, pulling her hair, punching her in the head, and strangling her, causing traumatic injuries. The victim escaped on foot, but Brunke followed her on a motorized scooter to a convenience store. She was able to barricade herself inside the store’s bathroom while an employee called 911.

Responding officers arrested Brunke outside his residence and discovered marijuana in his pocket. He pleaded guilty on Sept. 18, 2024, and was released pending sentencing after serving more than two months in jail. However, he failed to appear for sentencing on Feb. 27, 2025, and a bench warrant was issued. Brunke remained at large for nearly six months before being arrested.

At sentencing on Aug. 28, 2025, District Judge Ross Pittman imposed a unified 10-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after five years for felony domestic battery. Brunke also received credit for time served on the marijuana possession charge. A no-contact order was entered prohibiting him from contacting the victim for five years.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Monica Bushling had recommended the same sentence, citing Brunke’s violent history and extensive criminal record, which spans two decades and includes convictions for assault, DUI, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, and theft.

Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen credited Criminal Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Laura McClinton, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Camille Price, and the Rathdrum Police Department for their work on the case.