MARION COUNTY — A 44-year-old Salem man was ordered held in the Marion County Jail Monday after he was formally charged with Class 3 felony domestic battery.

The charge against Billy Smith indicates he’s had at least three previous convictions for domestic battery.

Court records show he was arrested on three separate occasions between 2015 and 2022 in Fayette County and was sentenced to 3 years in prison on each of those two incidents.

However, a 2007 case charged Smith with violation of an order of protection with a previous domestic battery conviction, indicating a domestic battery conviction that predates 2007.

Smith was arrested Saturday after Salem Police responded to a report of a woman being beaten. When officers arrived they reported visible injuries on the woman who came to the door.

Smith wasn’t at the residence when police arrived, but was taken into custody after he reportedly came down the street yelling and insisting he did not cause the injuries to the woman.

Judge Mark Stedelin found Smith poses a threat to the alleged victim and that Smith was unlikely to comply with any conditions of release as he was on probation at the time of his latest arrest for a 2022 domestic battery conviction.

A preliminary hearing in the case is set for May 14th.