A former Westbrook mayoral candidate and commander of the local American Legion agreed to a plea deal Friday in which most of his sentence was suspended.

Philip Spiller Jr. was arrested in January and charged with domestic violence assault. After he made bail, he was arrested again days later for allegedly violating a protection order against him. He has been held without bail at the Cumberland County Jail since then.

The victim in the assault said Spiller knocked her unconscious and that she suffered bruising, scratches and a lacerated tongue. She later said she discovered firearms, which Spiller was supposed to have surrendered to law enforcement, in their home. (The Press Herald does not name victims of domestic violence without their permission.)

After the incident at his Westbrook home, Spiller was charged with two counts of domestic violence aggravated assault and one count of domestic violence assault, court documents show.

Spiller pleaded no contest at a court hearing Friday in exchange for prosecutors dropping both counts of domestic violence aggravated assault.

He agreed to a 364-day sentence, with credit given for the two months he’s already spent in jail and the remainder of his time suspended. He will be on probation for two years and would be returned to custody if he violates his release conditions. He remained in jail late Friday afternoon.

Spiller is a JetBlue airline pilot and commander of the American Legion Post 62. He has long been involved in the Westbrook community, including a stint as president of the Westbrook-Gorham Rotary Club, and his father was a former mayor of the city.

Editor’s note: This story was updated on April 10 to correct information about Spiller’s sentence.

HOW TO GET HELP

IF YOU or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, you can call the statewide Domestic Abuse Helpline at 1-866-834-4357 to talk to someone who can help. You can learn more online here.
IF YOU or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse, you can call the statewide Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Line at 1-800-871-7741 to talk to someone who can help. You can learn more online here.
FOR ASSISTANCE during a mental health crisis, call or text 888-568-1112. To call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.
FOR OTHER support or referrals, call the NAMI Maine Help Line at 800-464-5767 or email [email protected].