Deputy who tortured wife, lover gets four life sentences

A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy was sentenced to four life sentences and nearly 20 years in prison Friday for torturing his wife and her lover.

Robert Avery McClain, 38, of Irvine was convicted of eight felonies, including aggravated mayhem, forcible rape and torture. The jury also agreed with prosecutors and increased McClain’s sentence for using a gun and causing great bodily injury, among other enhancements.

The case stems from McClain’s violent, prolonged torture of his 31-year-old wife and her 23-year-old lover in 2008. When he learned his wife was having an affair, he duped the pair into meeting with him in their Irvine apartment complex’s leasing office, where the lover worked.

Once there, McClain attacked the pair. He forced the wife to torture her lover and later raped his wife on a secluded road in another part of the county. He then took her back to their apartment, where he attacked her again. She eventually escaped to a nearby hospital, whose staff called police.

McClain’s wife suffered broken bones, cuts and a concussion. Her lover suffered brain damage, broken bones, multiple stab wounds and severe cuts to his groin area.

McClain’s defense was that he was insane during the hours-long, overnight attack.

— Joseph Serna

Twitter: @JosephSerna