NORTHAMPTON — A judge ruled a Connecticut man charged with attempted murder dangerous on Friday, despite testimony from the alleged victim that she believed her attacker shouldn’t be held.
Judge Maureen Walsh held George Archer, 42, of Hartford, without the right to bail in Northampton District Court following a dangerousness hearing. Archer is accused of stabbing his girlfriend in her Easthampton home on Jan. 25 and faces eight charges, including attempted murder and strangulation or suffocation.
Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington called the alleged victim of the incident to the witness stand. She explained she and Archer had been dating on and off for two years, and that he was using her car and was late to return it on the day of the incident.
The alleged victim explained that Archer had shown up to her home two hours late and wouldn’t leave. She said she told Archer that once her friends came over, they would make him leave. That’s when Archer became upset and things escalated, she said.
“He came up to me in the kitchen and grabbed me,” she said. “He said ‘B—-, I’ll kill you.’”
The woman said Archer had grabbed her by her throat and face for 20 seconds. Archer eventually let her go, she said.
She reached behind her and grabbed a butter knife to defend herself, she said, at which point she said Archer stepped back and she heard a click of what she thought was a knife. She testified she never saw the knife, but that Archer normally carries one.
As Archer put the knife to her face, she said she tried to stabilize his attacking hand and Archer pulled back. She said she put up her left arm in instinct, at which point Archer slashed her forearm. At first, she said she didn’t realize what had happened since it didn’t hurt. She then looked and saw blood spurting from her arm.
“As soon as I wrapped it, it was soaking wet,” she said through tears. “And the whole table was filled with blood. I couldn’t stop the bleeding.”
Archer sat quietly next to his attorney, Alan Rubin, occasionally sniffling and wiping tears from his face using his hands that were bound by handcuffs.
“I think it was an accident,” she said, saying Archer tried to help her. “When it happened, we were both surprised.”
“I’m not afraid of him, I’ve never been afraid of him. I don’t think he’s a danger to anyone. I don’t think they should hold him,” she added.
Under cross-examination by Rubin, the woman said she was more afraid of bleeding out than of Archer, stating that she would consider eventually consider talking with him again.
Easthampton Police Detective Andrew Beaulieu, who had been at the crime scene, also testified. He said that when he interviewed the alleged victim at the police station the next day, she was still bleeding through her bandages despite receiving 13 stitches.
After playing the 911 call from that day, Covington said that even though the victim testified she was not in fear of Archer and that Archer had no criminal record, he asked Archer to be held saying he was a danger to the community.
“This is a case, clearly, where the defendant went from zero to 100 miles per hour, quickly,” Covington said. “And the commonwealth has great concerns.”
“Based on the combination of the threat, the strangulation and the use of the knife, the commonwealth is taking this very seriously,” he added.
Rubin said that the cutting was accidental, saying “one situation … does not make a person dangerous to the point that he’s a threat to society.”
Rubin said that Archer should have cash bail set at $5,000 instead of being held, adding that treatment for alcoholism should be part of probation.
“The court in considering this should find that the evidence is not sufficient … in finding Mr. Archer a general danger,” Rubin said.
Walsh said that though she found the woman’s testimony “to be very credible,” she ruled Archer to be held after considering all of the evidence. Archer is due back in court on Feb. 25.
Michael Connors can be reached at mconnors@gazettenet.com.