New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“A 27-year-old New Bedford man who violently assaulted his girlfriend while enroute to pick up a child at the John B. DeValles School in June of 2021 was sentenced to serve two years in state prison last Thursday in Fall River Superior Court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Although the victim in the case refused to cooperate with the prosecution, Assistant District Attorney Shawn Guilderson conducted a grand jury investigation into the incident and by utilizing excited utterances by the victim on the day of the assault, along with testimony from school officials who sheltered the woman after the assault, he was able to secure indictments and an eventual conviction against Brahden Hill.
Mr. Hill pled guilty to indictments charging him with Domestic Assault and Battery, Strangulation, Intimidation of a Witness, Attempt to Suborn Perjury and Contempt.
On June 15, 22021, the victim ran into the school, visibly upset with scratches and marks on her arms, head and neck. She told school officials she was running from her boyfriend, who was parked outside the school, because he had just slammed her head against the window of the car, slapped her multiple times and choked her. She told the school officials she felt dizzy and disoriented and was in fear for her life.
While being held in jail, the defendant defied a district court judge’s order to have no contact with the victim, and called her in an attempt to get her to commit perjury and lie about the incident.
During a sentencing hearing, ADA Guilderson argued for a two-and-a-half to four year state prison sentence based on the defendant’s conduct during the assault and from jail, along with his previous convictions for distribution of narcotics and larceny. Judge Raffi Yessayan sentenced the defendant to serve two years in state prison, to be followed by two years of supervised probation. The defendant was also ordered to a complete a domestic batterers program within one year.
“I am pleased that the defendant was held accountable for his violent assault against the victim and his attempt to get her to not cooperate with our office. This type of behavior cannot be tolerated,” District Attorney Quinn said.”
