LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22 -- The husband of a former member of the Pointer Sisters pop group was sentenced Thursday to 240 hours of community service for his battery convictions stemming from a Christmas Eve incident in which he struck his wife and her sister at a family gathering. Jeffrey Bownes, 43, also was sentenced by Municipal Court Judge Michael Mink to 14 days in jail, which Bownes had already served.
Mink also ordered Bownes to pay $2,800 in fines and penalties and placed him on three years probation, which includes requirements that Bownes attend domestic violence counseling and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Authorities said Bownes apparently wanted to leave June Pointer's Hollywood home after visiting for several hours Christmas Eve and struck his wife, Patricia 'Bonnie' Pointer, in the face when she resisted leaving. A struggle ensued which resulted in June Pointer suffering a broken nose when Bownes struck her, authorities said. Bownes was convicted Feb. 13 on two counts of battery. The jury found him innocent of one count of spousal battery. Mink has scheduled a March 29 hearing to determine if Bownes must pay restitituion to June Pointer for her medical bills. The Pointer Sisters are best known for their hits 'I'm So Excited,' 'Fire,' and 'He's So Shy.' Patricia Pointer embarked on a solo career after leaving the group in 1978.
