A Burleigh County man will spend 10 days in jail for hitting his 15-year-old son's head on the ground and giving the boy prescription drugs for which he had not been prescribed.

South Central District Judge Gail Hagerty approved a binding plea agreement which sentenced Dean Sommerfeld to one year in jail with all but 10 days suspended for the two Class C felonies.

The plea agreement, negotiated by Sommerfeld's attorney, Tim Purdon, and Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Cynthia Feland, also calls for Sommerfeld to spend three years on supervised probation and pay $525 in fees.

If Sommerfeld successfully completes probation, the offenses will be misdemeanors on his record. He will not be required to register as an offender against children. Sommerfeld surrendered to the Burleigh County Sheriff's Department following the Thursday morning hearing, and he will receive credit for one day previously served.

Sommerfeld was accused in late January of throwing his 15-year-old son down and banging his head on the ground. The boy was taken to a walk-in clinic, where doctors determined he suffered from a concussion.

Sommerfeld told Hagerty his son had signs of a concussion which didn't subside by the next morning, so he gave him prescription medication.

Hagerty asked Assistant State's Attorney Ty Turner, sitting in for Feland, why prosecutors favor the plea agreement. He said they believe Sommerfeld needs anger management, supervision and immediate consequences.

Sommerfeld has completed an anger management course and several parenting classes. He is in the process of completing domestic violence treatment.

Sommerfeld told Hagerty the incident occurred while he was having a conversation with his son. He said the talk escalated, and he took his son to the ground and his head struck the ground.

Turner said Sommerfeld appeared to be minimizing the incident, since he told a responding deputy he had hit his son's head against the ground several times. Hagerty said the probation officer who performed a presentence investigation also thought he was minimizing the incident.

Purdon said Sommerfeld had been minimizing the incident but has taken responsibility by getting involved in treatment.

"He wishes it hadn't happened. He's ashamed of it," Purdon said.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)