New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“A 45-year-old Attleboro man who violently assaulted his girlfriend last January was sentenced to serve three to four years in state prison last Thursday in Fall River Superior Court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Stephen Boulter pled guilty to indictments charging him with Strangulation and Domestic Assault and Battery.
On January 8, 2022 walked into the Attleboro Police station with bruising and red marks on her face. She told police that on January 4th, she was awoken from a nap by the defendant, who accused her of cheating. This led to an argument, which culminated in the defendant pushing her onto a bed and hitting her in the face with a closed fist multiple times. During the assault, the victim attempted to scream for help but the defendant placed both of his hands over her face and mouth. The victim stated the defendant used so much force that she could not breathe. The victim also said the defendant bit her on the face, leaving teeth imprints. The victim began banging on the wall for help, causing her roommates to enter the room and separate the parties.
The Victim showed officers several photos that she had taken on the morning of January 5th. Officers noticed that she had significant bruising, swelling, scratching, teeth marks, and a lip injury. When asked about the late disclosure, the victim told officers that initially she blocked the defendant and stopped all contact. But earlier in the day on January 8th, she received a voicemail from the defendant on a private number, ordering her to take pictures down off social media. The victim told officers she believed the defendant was angry because she posted pictures of her injuries as well as domestic violence information on her Facebook page. The victim was in fear of the defendant after receiving this voicemail message.
It was later learned the defendant had previously served jail time for intimidation of a witness and violating a restraining order. The defendant has had 18 separate restraining orders filed against him by 11 different victims.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Courtney Cahill and the state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Raffi Yessayan. In addition to the state prison sentence, the judge also placed the defendant on probation for an additional one year.
“The defendant violently assaulted the victim and even left a bite mark on her face. He has a long criminal history including violations of court protective orders. He clearly is a danger to this victim and the community and he needs to be kept off the street,” District Attorney Quinn said.”
