Taunton Domestic Batterer Sentenced to State Prison
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
Thomas M. Quinn III
District Attorney
Press Release
June 22, 2017
A 30-year-old Taunton man was sentenced to serve three years in prison after pleading guilty this week to a litany of domestic assault charges stemming from an incident in Taunton last September.
Irvin William pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to charges of aggravated assault and battery, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault to maim, witness intimidation and subornation of perjury.
On September 26, 2016, the defendant was residing in a multifamily apartment building withhis girlfriend. On this date, an argument occurred between the two and the defendant took a flashlight and threw it across the room, striking the victim in the face. The victim’s elderly grandmother, who was also in the home, could hear the victim yelling “get off me!” Moments later, the grandmother saw the defendant carrying an unresponsive and bloody victim down the stairs and to his car. The defendant drove the victim to Morton Hospital, dropped her off, went back to the apartment, grabbed his belongings, and fled.
At the hospital, the victim was barely able to speak, but did indicate the defendant was the one who assaulted her. The victim was transported to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston for surgery. She suffered from a fractured eye socket and nose. For a period of time, she had no vision out an eye due to the severe swelling in her face.
The defendant, from the outset of the case, sought to thwart his prosecution. Text messages show the defendant trying to talk the victim out of cooperating with the prosecution.
Recorded jail calls also showed the defendant tried to tell the victim what story to tell at the defendant’s dangerousness hearing, saying that some other girl did it because of jealousy.
During a plea hearing before Judge Raffi Yessayan, Assistant District Attorney Patrick Driscoll argued for a lengthy eight to 12 year state prison term due to the severity of the attack and the defendant’s numerous attempts to intimidate the victim and suborn perjury. The defense, however, argued for two year term in the Bristol County House of Corrections.
Judge Yessayan sentenced the defendant to serve three years in state prison, to be followed by two years of probation.
“This was a savage attack that resulted in the hospitalization of the victim for a fractured eye socket and nose. This is inhumane behavior that cannot be tolerated. On top of that, he tried to intimidate the victim to not testify in court,” District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III said. “Based on the defendant’s vicious conduct, I felt our sentencing recommendation was more appropriate. This type of behavior needs to be treated harshly.”
Contact:
Gregg Miliote
Director of Communications
508-997-0711
774-292-9576—cell