A Salisbury man has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for shooting into his girlfriend’s house in January 2014 after she asked him to leave.

Drew Thomas Charleston, 25, was convicted this week in Rowan County Superior Court of felony discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling and felony possession of a firearm by a felon.

While in jail awaiting trial, Charleston tried to encourage the victim not to testify against him.

Visiting Superior Court Judge David Lee sentenced Charleston to a minimum of 84 months, or seven years, to a maximum of 113 months, nearly 10 years.

Charleston was also sentenced to 17-30 months, suspended, with supervised probation for 36 months, among additional terms and conditions. This sentence will begin following his release from prison.

Salisbury Police were sent to West Kerr Street after a call about shots fired into a home. Officers spoke with the victim who said Charleston arrived at her home to get his clothes. She told him she didn’t have any of his clothes and she asked him to leave.

Charleston asked the woman about the location of a gun, and he became upset when the victim didn’t know what he was referring to, a statement said.

The victim became scared and pushed Charleston out the door. A short time later, Charleston called the victim and again asked about the gun. Charleston said he had left a sawed-off shotgun under her bed. The woman told him there wasn’t a gun there.

Charleston told the victim he’d show her. The victim became scared and turned off all the lights in her home. She looked out of the window and saw Charleston in the front passenger seat of a vehicle. The victim stated Charleston started shooting at her house so she got on the floor.

While officers were speaking to the victim, Charleston called her phone and asked for his gun back and said “next time it’s coming in the window” and hung up. During the investigation, officers located bullet holes in the house next door and shell casings in the road.

While in jail awaiting trial, Charleston called someone and asked that person to contact the victim and tell her to change her telephone number so the district attorney’s office couldn’t reach her. He also requested the person tell the victim that if she did come to court, she needed to say that she didn’t remember what happened.

Charleston has previous drug and assault convictions.

Rowan County District Attorney Brandy Cook said she “appreciated the work of Assistant District Attorney Kristina Scally in prosecuting the case, as well as the investigation by the Salisbury Police Department.”

Cook also said her office “continues to focus on cases where convicted felons illegally possess firearms.”