LUNENBURG — While being driven to a detox facility in Westminster in April, a Nashua, N.H., man was arrested after attacking an Uber driver, leaving him with serious facial injures, according to police and court documents.
Officers from Lunenburg were called to an area on Chase Road near North End Subaru Mazda at about 11:15 p.m. on April 9 for a report that two men appeared to be arguing and had jumped from a slowly moving Honda Accord, leaving its doors open.
When police arrived they discovered three men, one of them a witness, standing in the road.
Michael T. Conley, 39, of Woodbury Drive, had dried blood all over his hands, face and clothing, but did not appear to have any injuries, the reporting officer said, adding that Conley was extremely agitated.
The victim then stepped out from between vehicles in North End’s lot, with blood streaming from his face and mouth area, begging for help, the officer reported.
When Conley saw the victim, he charged toward him, screaming the victim had “touched” his child, only stopping when one of the several officers on the scene restrained him, the officer reported.
Conley, first resisting, was then handcuffed for his own safety because he appeared intoxicated, but not arrested, the officer reported.
When questioning Conley, he told the officers there was a firearm in the Honda and when officers checked, there were no firearms or children in the sedan, the officer reported.
The victim told the officers he had picked up Conley in Nashua to take him Recovery Centers of America at Westminster for treatment. During the drive, Conley spoke with several people on his cellphone, often arguing, the victim told the officer.
While on Chase Road, Conley asked the driver to stop and he got out of the Honda, continuing to talk on his cellphone.
Conley then got into the front seat of the sedan and the two of them continued towards Westminster, and then, without provocation, Conley began pummeling the driver causing him to swerve back and forth before he could stop, the victim told the officer.
Once stopped, Conley continued punching the driver in the face and grabbed his neck and began choking him until the driver was able to slow the car, unfasten his seat belt and jump from the car, which was still in drive, the victim told police.
The victim was transported to the hospital in Leominster where a nurse there confirmed his injuries were consistent with what had happened, and that he probably had a broken nose, the officer reported.
Conley was arrested and placed in the back of a cruiser and briefly passed out. When he awoke up he appeared very confused and began asking what was happening. The officer told him and Conley said he couldn’t believe it, despite the blood on his hands, face and clothing, the officer reported.
When being booked, he finally noticed the blood and began crying, the officer reported.
Conley’s blood alcohol level was checked with a breathalyzer and it registered 0.29%, almost two hours after the incident, the officer reported. Under state law, one is presumed intoxicated at .08 or higher.
He was arraigned the next day on charges of assault and battery causing serious bodily injury, disorderly conduct, assault and strangulation, according to court documents.
During the arraignment, Conley was ordered held without bail pending the outcome of a dangerousness hearing, held the same day. He was found dangerous, but allowed to be released on bail of $2,500, which he paid and was released, according to court documents.
On Thursday, a pretrial hearing was held and Conley was ordered to return to district court on Nov. 12.
*by Cliff Clark via Sentinel & Enterprise*
