DOVER — A Rochester man faces assault and witness tampering charges after he allegedly choked his intimate partner on New Year’s Eve.
A Strafford County grand jury indicted Justin Holsapple, 40, of Heritage Street in Rochester, on three second-degree assault counts and one felony witness tampering count during a session on Jan. 19. All four counts are Class B felonies, according to court paperwork.
The three assault charges stem from allegations that Holsapple used his hands to apply pressure to his intimate partner’s throat and/or neck area at three different times on Dec. 31, 2017, according to the indictments. The indictments indicate the times of those alleged strangulations, which impeded the victim’s blood circulation, were 6:36 p.m., 6:40 p.m. and 6:49 p.m.
The witness tampering charges stems from claims that Holsapple allegedly told the victim, “‘Don’t say anything to the cops, you’ll get me arrested’ or words to that effect, believing that an investigation was pending or about to be instituted,” according to court paperwork
An indictment is not an indication of guilt; rather, it means a jury found sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
Holsapple is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictments in Strafford County Superior Court at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 9.