Convicted Homeless Stalker Racks Up Assault, Disorderly, And Breach Charges In Concord: Follow-Up

CONCORD, NH — A homeless man now located in Concord, who is a convicted stalker and facing new felony stalking charges, was arrested seven times during the past four weeks, including attempting to assault a teenager downtown, according to police and court records.

Jeffrey Stephen Gardner, 66, a member of the city’s unhoused community, was arrested on Aug. 15 on two breach of bail charges, two simple assault charges, and two disorderly conduct charges. After being released from jail, he was arrested again on Aug. 18 on disorderly conduct, breach of bail, and smoking prohibited after an incident at Concord Hospital. Five other times between July 23 and Aug. 13, he was arrested, mostly on threat, trespass, and breach charges.

According to court paperwork, the mid-August arrest stemmed from an incident on July 27.

Around 6:45 p.m., officers were sent to The Works Café for a report of a man with a long white beard attacking a boy. The caller was a girl, the report said. Police immediately identified Gardner, who matched the suspect’s description, and then spoke with three juveniles sitting on the patio area.

One boy, 15, accused Gardner of walking up to them and asking for money, saying he needed $10. The teens rejected his request and asked him to go away. Instead, Gardner “lifted up his dress and began to ‘play’ with (his) genitals… from the outside of his shorts and swinging his ‘package’,” an affidavit said. Gardner was asked again to leave and everyone started arguing, the report stated.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information provided by the Concord Police Department and Concord District Court and does not constitute a conviction. This link explains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.

At one point during the argument, Gardner was accused of lifting his bag and swirling it around. The boy then handed his pocketknife to another boy, 16, so he could protect himself and a girl, also 15, the report stated. The second boy then displayed the knife, the officer wrote.

The officer spoke to the second boy and the girl, and they gave “almost identical” statements, the officer wrote. They accused Gardner of being “extremely aggressive” when they refused to give him money and when he would not go away, the report stated. The girl also requested he leave due to past trauma, but Gardner ignored her and continued to badger them, the report stated.

The reporting officer spoke with Gardner, who admitted to approaching the teens and asking for money, saying he was “short $10 on his makeover,” the report said He was accused of admitting to lifting up his dress when they asked him to go away but denied grabbing his genitals and said, “he would never do that.” Gardner was then asked about a prior incident the night before where he lifted his dress and grabbed his genitals toward an officer, and he admitted to doing that, according to the report.

“This contradicted what he had previously told me about how he would never do that to someone,” the officer wrote.

A witness, a man in his mid-70s, confirmed seeing Gardner lifting his dress but not grabbing his genitals, a report said.

The officer noted Gardner was out on bail and was due to appear in court on Aug. 3.

A warrant was issued for his arrest on Aug. 11.

In court, prosecutors later revised the charges to attempted simple assault, disorderly conduct, and breach of bail. Prosecutors expect to ask for a sentence enhancer on the breach charge.

Gardner is due back in Concord District Court on Sept. 22. He is also expected in Merrimack County Superior Court to enter pleas on two felony stalking charges out of Concord from February and June.

During the past three years, Gardner has been arrested more than two dozen times, according to reports on Patch.

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