Epsom Teen Threatens Girlfriend with Blowtorch: Report

CONCORD, NH — A local man was arrested twice in the span of 10 days after alleged domestic incidents with his girlfriend, according to arrest reports and court documents. Christopher Couch, 19, of Windymere Drive in Epsom, was arrested on July 14, 2016, for simple assault, domestic violence-simple assault, criminal mischief, criminal threatening, domestic violence-criminal threatening, endangering the welfare of a child, and default or breach of bail conditions. He was arrested again on July 25, in Epsom.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord and Epsom Police Departments and Concord District Court. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

In the middle of last month, officers were sent to a home on South Street at just after 12:30 a.m. for a report of a woman requesting assistance getting into the residence while being blocked from the inside, according to a court affidavit.

While en route, dispatch reported that a man – later identified as Couch – was inside the apartment, allegedly “smashing things around and lighting objects on fire.”

When officers arrived, they spoke to the woman who stated she had been staying at the home for two weeks even though it was at a relative of Couch’s and there was a restraining order against him having contact with her. She stated that she texted Couch at around 9 p.m. to coordinate access to the home while he was not around, in order to feed formula to their four-month-old child, according to the affidavit.

When she arrived, the door was blocked from the inside so she accessed the house from another location and when she did, Couch allegedly came at her, “going crazy,” and yelling at her. He allegedly threw dishes in the kitchen that belonged to her family around the home. The baby was in a car seat on the floor near where he was smashing the dishes, she alleged. She was also struck with a metal rod, according to the affidavit.

While in the kitchen, Couch allegedly picked up a blowtorch, turned it on, and began walking towards her, according to the court affidavit, bringing it close to her where “she could feel the heat from the flame.” She then picked up a kitchen knife to defend herself and he allegedly left the home, banged on her vehicle outside, and then left the area. The reporting officer noted all the damage inside the apartment including from the dishes, trash, and shattered glass.

The reporting officer then called Couch in Epsom and spoke with him about the incident. He allegedly denied being in Concord. When asked to speak to a relative he was with, Couch allegedly hung up the phone. Epsom Police then went to the home and could not make contact with anyone in Epsom. The officer was reviewing restraining order paperwork and previous arrests involving Couch and domestic issues with the woman when another officer let him know that Couch had been stopped in a vehicle on North State Street.

The reporting officer went to North State Street to speak with Couch who reportedly admitted to lying about his location earlier because “he was scared he was going to get in trouble,” according to the affidavit. He allegedly denied assaulting the woman but admitted holding the blowtorch outside of the home and once he left the residence, after seeing police cruiser lights coming down the street.

Couch was then arrested and charged and held.

Epsom camper incident

On July 24, Epsom Police were called to a Windymere address for a report of a domestic disturbance.

The woman from the previous incident alleged that she and Couch were arguing and he was throwing things around her camper, grabbed her, and threw her to the ground. She reported having scratches on her back but refused medical treatment. She also reportedly refused to show the officers her injuries.

Epsom officers found Couch at another location on Windymere and he reportedly stated that he was sleeping when she woke him up and started yelling.

“Couch stated that (she) was hysterical and that he did not touch her at all,” the officer alleged in an affidavit. “Couch stated that he was out on pre-trial services and could not get in any trouble so he grabbed the mattress and left the scene on foot before things escalated further.”

The officer went back to speak to the woman who stated that they had been together at the camper for about a week, arguing off and on, and both were aware of Couch’s bail conditions not to be around her. She stated that their baby woke up crying at just after midnight and Couch “got angry” after waking up, according to the report. She stated she was on the mattress when he allegedly picked up, carried it outside, and pushed her off it.

An affidavit was issued against Couch and he was arrested.

Couch has had a number of run-ins with the law during the six months including a criminal mischief charge in February, an assault charge in April, and criminal threatening and breach of bail charges in June.