NORTHAMPTON — Kevin E. Pardee, 29, of Easthampton, who police said assaulted a woman with a knife last year, was released from jail Monday after a Hampshire Superior Court judge reduced his bail and ordered him put on house arrest.
Judge John Ferrara set bail for Pardee at $20,000 cash, but did so reluctantly, he said, because of the defendant’s criminal history.
Pardee has been held at the Hampshire County Jail after pleading not guilty to about a dozen charges including two counts of kidnapping, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of assault and battery on a family or household member as well as single counts of intimidating a witness, possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number and possessing a firearm without an FID card as a career criminal.
Pardee has an extensive, and often violent, criminal history dating back to 2004, according to court records.
Pardee will reside with his father, who lives on Plain Street in Easthampton. While on house arrest, be subject to GPS monitoring, have no contact with the alleged victim in the case, abstain from drugs and alcohol and be subject to random screenings, according to the conditions of his release. Pardee may not leave the Easthampton home, except for medical or religious reasons.
In April 2015, Pardee allegedly held a knife to a woman’s throat at her home and then beat her as they drove through several communities before she escaped from the car, according to court documents. Police also said he stabbed the woman in the leg with a pocketknife.
A trial date has not yet been set, though Ferrara said he expect the case to be ready to proceed by September.
Note: This story has been revised to indicate the correct bail amount of $20,000.
Michael Majchrowicz can be reached at mmajchrowicz@gazettenet.com or 413-585-5234.