NORTHAMPTON — A Florence man is being held without bail after he allegedly head-butted a woman and held her face under a running faucet.
Paul A. Costa, 29, pleaded not guilty to nine charges in Northampton District Court Monday morning for an incident that allegedly occurred on May 14.
Costa is charged with intimidating a witness, two counts of strangulation or suffocation in violation of a court order, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in violation of a protection order, two counts of assault and battery in violation of an abuse prevention order, two counts of violating an abuse prevention order and malicious destruction of property more than $250.
He is being held without the right to bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
The May 14 incident was reported to police about five days later by a friend of the woman, according to court documents. The woman told police that Costa head-butted her multiple times, slammed her head onto the counter and put her head in the sink and held it under running water, according to a report written by Northampton Patrol Officer Benjamin Beaver.
The Gazette does not generally identify alleged victims of domestic assault.
During the alleged assault, the woman told officers she scratched Costa’s face. Costa later told police the scratches were from his dog and a work incident, according to court documents.
Police arrested Costa on his way home from work the day the incident was reported.
Costa told police that the alleged victim’s daughter caused her black eyes and that she beats herself up, Beaver wrote. Costa denied that the incidents described to police occurred.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.