Drunk man blames 'ghost' for punched and strangled wife

At about 8 pm on January 15, police arrived at West's home to find the woman crying and bleeding from her nose.u00a0According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint, the woman was upset after West blamed her for the house being foreclosed. When she pointed out that she works while he sits on the couch, West became angry.

He strangled the woman twice and then told her to call the police. As she went to grab the phone, he punched her repeatedly in the face.u00a0West told police the woman got her injuries from falling. When asked specifically about the neck injuries, he responded, "A ghost did it," the northwestern.com reported.

Officers had to struggle with an intoxicated West to place him in handcuffs after he made the ghost comment.u00a0The woman said West has made comments about killing her.u00a0He is being held in the Fond du Lac County Jail on 1,000-dollar bail and was ordered to stay sober while the case is pending.u00a0A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 27.u00a0