Latest news with #YorkCountySuperiorCourt
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
South Berwick man told police he accidentally shot and killed girlfriend
Mar. 28—A South Berwick man accused of killing of his girlfriend told police that the shooting was a "bad mishap" during a dispute between the couple, according to court documents. Jeremiah Godfrey, 43, was arrested several days after 37-year-old Sherri Sweet died in the hospital from a gunshot wound to her head. He faces one count of murder and is currently being held in York County Jail without bail. He appeared in York County Superior Court for his initial appearance on Friday afternoon but was not yet required to enter a plea. An affidavit for his arrest describes Godfrey telling investigators that he takes responsibility for pulling the trigger and firing a single shot that hit Sweet in the back of her head. The two had gotten into an argument at their home on Brattle Street on Saturday evening when Godfrey went upstairs to retrieve his Glock pistol, which he told police he uses for protection from local wildlife like fisher cats and coyotes, according to court documents. He said he planned to go to an outbuilding on their property, where he "usually goes when he needs to leave the residence after an argument." But before he could leave the house, Godfrey said, Sweet was walking down the stairs in front of him and turned around to grab the gun. He told investigators that she was facing him and that he didn't point the weapon at her, but said his finger was on the trigger when it went off. "I just held onto it as she grabbed it and went to pull as she walked down the stairs," he said in a police interview, according to the affidavit written by Maine State Police detective Justin Huntley. At various points in the interview, investigators noted that he described the shooting as a "bad mishap" on his behalf. Godfrey's attorney did not return messages asking to discuss the case Friday afternoon. When South Berwick police officers arrived at the scene, they found a small child lying on the living room couch and arranged for a family member to remove them from the house. Sweet was brought to Portsmouth Regional Hospital where she died a day later. While she was on life support, detectives located a bullet fragment on the staircase. The autopsy, which was completed on Monday, determined her death to be the result of a homicide from a gunshot wound to the back of her head. State police arrested Godfrey on Wednesday afternoon after requesting and obtaining a warrant that same day. It's not clear why police did not immediately arrest Godfrey. A spokesperson for the Maine State Police had declined to provide further information about the investigation. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
York business owner accused of sending racist texts, withholding pay from South Portland man
Mar. 18—A Kittery man has been accused of harassing and refusing to pay a contractor he hired to replace the flooring at his York business. The Office of the Maine Attorney General said Tuesday that it has filed a civil rights injunction against Alexander Treshinsky, 35, after he allegedly sent more than a dozen texts and voicemails "containing racist and anti-immigrant invective and threats of violence against" a man and his family. The state argues his actions violate the Maine Civil Rights Act. Neither the victim nor Treshinsky's business were named in court records. Treshinsky has also been criminally charged in York County Superior Court on one count each of harassment by telephone and criminal threatening. Treshinsky has pleaded not guilty to those charges, according to a court clerk. It was not immediately clear if those charges were tied to the same allegations. A criminal defense attorney for Treshinsky did not respond to a message seeking to discuss the case Tuesday afternoon. A lawyer representing Treshinsky in the civil case said they have "no comment on this matter other than Alex has retained counsel and is asserting his due process rights in the appropriate court venue." The attorney general's office described the victim in the civil case as a 35-year-old South Portland resident who immigrated to Maine from the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to court records. After Treshinsky hired him to fix and install new flooring at his business, the attorney general's office said, the man asked Treshinsky in November to pay him roughly $1,140. Instead, the attorney general's office describes a dozen texts Treshinsky sent in response, including pictures of genitalia and threats to assault the man's daughter. They said Treshinsky also left the victim a voicemail, mimicking his accented English. "Get the (expletive) out of business in America. I will be your worst enemy until you are gone," one text said, according to the complaint. "Understand ... you have a (expletive) enemy now. I will follow you until the end of the (expletive) earth until you fall off it." These messages have scared the man and his family, according to the attorney general's office. "The Defendant has intentionally interfered with the victim's right to engage in lawful activities without being subject to threats of physical force or violence based on the Defendant's bias against the victim's race, color, or national origin," the attorney general's office wrote. Treshinsky still hasn't paid him, the AG's office said. If the civil rights injunction is granted, Treshinsky will be barred from contacting or threatening the victim (and pay $5,000 per violation). Treshinsky would also face a new Class D charge for violating an injunction and, at most, up to a year behind bars. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
York business owner accused of sending racist texts, withholding pay from South Portland man
Mar. 18—A Kittery man has been accused of harassing and refusing to pay a contractor he hired to replace the flooring at his York business. The Office of the Maine Attorney General said Tuesday that it has filed a civil rights injunction against Alexander Treshinsky, 35, after he allegedly sent more than a dozen texts and voicemails "containing racist and anti-immigrant invective and threats of violence against" a man and his family. The state argues his actions violate the Maine Civil Rights Act. Neither the victim nor Treshinsky's business were named in court records. Treshinsky has also been criminally charged in York County Superior Court on one count each of harassment by telephone and criminal threatening. Treshinsky has pleaded not guilty to those charges, according to a court clerk. It was not immediately clear if those charges were tied to the same allegations. A criminal defense attorney for Treshinsky did not respond to a message seeking to discuss the case Tuesday afternoon. A lawyer representing Treshinsky in the civil case said they have "no comment on this matter other than Alex has retained counsel and is asserting his due process rights in the appropriate court venue." The attorney general's office described the victim in the civil case as a 35-year-old South Portland resident who immigrated to Maine from the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to court records. After Treshinsky hired him to fix and install new flooring at his business, the attorney general's office said, the man asked Treshinsky in November to pay him roughly $1,140. Instead, the attorney general's office describes a dozen texts Treshinsky sent in response, including pictures of genitalia and threats to assault the man's daughter. They said Treshinsky also left the victim a voicemail, mimicking his accented English. "Get the (expletive) out of business in America. I will be your worst enemy until you are gone," one text said, according to the complaint. "Understand ... you have a (expletive) enemy now. I will follow you until the end of the (expletive) earth until you fall off it." These messages have scared the man and his family, according to the attorney general's office. "The Defendant has intentionally interfered with the victim's right to engage in lawful activities without being subject to threats of physical force or violence based on the Defendant's bias against the victim's race, color, or national origin," the attorney general's office wrote. Treshinsky still hasn't paid him, the AG's office said. If the civil rights injunction is granted, Treshinsky will be barred from contacting or threatening the victim (and pay $5,000 per violation). Treshinsky would also face a new Class D charge for violating an injunction and, at most, up to a year behind bars. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Yahoo
Limington man accused of killing mother and her partner asks judge to throw out troubling statements
Feb. 5—Shortly after he was charged with two counts murder, Matthew Cote allegedly said in a jail call that he "blasted" a woman and "lit the place on fire." Cote, 25, has been accused of shooting his mother, Cheryl Cote, and her boyfriend, Daniel Perkins, early on the morning of June 17, 2021. Cote was also indicted on one count of arson — police believe he's the one who set the family's Limington home on fire before fleeing the scene. Cote has pleaded not guilty to the charges and entered an insanity plea last summer. If he's found guilty of the crimes, a jury will have to then decide whether his mental state impaired his understanding of wrongdoing. His trial is scheduled for January 2026. A judge ordered that Cote be evaluated at the Riverview Psychiatric Center, but it's unclear what the doctors discovered. Family friends and classmates told the Press Herald that Cote has struggled with his mental health, but they were surprised by the charges. He was at the York County Superior Court Wednesday, where his lawyers asked a judge to throw out statements he made in front of officers after he was taken into custody. Attorneys called on eight law enforcement witnesses, including two corrections officers at the York County Jail who booked him and helped him make a call. Cpl. Jason Gaudette said he was sitting about five or six feet away from Cote when he overheard him say he had "snapped." "I remember him saying that he snapped and had enough," Gaudette testified. Then Cote allegedly said, "I blasted the nasty (expletive)" and "set a fire to hide the nasty bodies because I didn't want anyone to see them." Carlos Gonzalez, another corrections officer who had been working nearby, testified that he only started listening in after hearing Gaudette say "woah." "(Cote) was saying 'I just lost it,' that he set fire to the home," Gonzalez testified. Neither officer knew who Cote was speaking with. Superior Court Justice Richard Mulhern said he won't rule on the matter until after a second hearing in June, during which he'll hear testimony from a detective and a forensic psychologist who is familiar with Cote's case. TROUBLING STATEMENTS Police say they found Cheryl Cote and Perkins' bodies at their Hardscrabble Road home that morning while firefighters were trying to put out the flames. They knew Matthew Cote was also living there, and soon realized his car was missing. Law enforcement agencies throughout the region were told to "be on the lookout" for Cote, warning that he was potentially homicidal, suicidal, armed and schizophrenic. Maine State Police Sgt. Jessica Shorey said she saw Cote driving the Trailblazer on Cape Road around 9 p.m. and pulled him over in the fire station parking lot. She said she shouted at him to get out of the car and lie on the ground as she was exiting her vehicle. Cpl. Travis Doughty, then a trooper, arrived within minutes and helped Shorey search Cote for weapons and handcuff him. They, and a handful of other officers in the area who arrived, waited for detectives to conduct an official interview. Shorey, Doughty and others testified that the only questions they asked were whether Cote wanted water or to sit in the shade. Cote told them he wanted to stay in the sun because it was probably the last sunlight he would see for a while, Shorey recalled. She said the group of officers told him "multiple times" someone else was coming to speak with him. Yet he still made several troubling statements in between benign attempts at small talk. "He was calm and sitting," Shorey recalled. "He asked us about our favorite music, zodiac signs and things like that." Then, unprovoked, he allegedly told officers "once I snapped, I couldn't stop and I emptied the whole magazine." Defense attorney Thomas Connolly suggested these statements were made under fear and without being informed of his rights to remain silent or find a lawyer. Shorey had drawn her gun as she was getting out of her car, although she testified she had put it away when she was handcuffing him. Connolly said this was "use of force" and Cote was likely scared of being shot. Prosecutors suggested Cote volunteered these statements on his own. "Who was initiating all that conversation?" Assistant Attorney General Bud Ellis asked. "He was," Shorey said. Copy the Story Link
