Homeless Man, High On Meth, Knocks Out Woman's Tooth: Affidavit

CONCORD, NH — A transient in the city of Concord is facing multiple charges after a domestic violence assault incident in an apartment on Loudon Road, months after getting drug dealing charges reduced. Officers were sent to the Morning Star Condominiums to take a past tense domestic assault report from a woman who accused her ex-boyfriend of punching her in the face while high on methamphetamine and knocking out one of her teeth on Nov. 10. The woman, who was "extremely rattled" during the interview, stated around 6 p.m., she was resting and listening to the radio when she heard banging on her door.

She walked to the door, opened it, and saw Vernon Lowell Key, 28, her ex, standing in front of her.

"(The victim) stated Key immediately wanted to enter her apartment but she did not want him in the apartment and advised him of that," the officer wrote. "Key pushed his way through the doorway and entered her apartment."

The victim and Key began yelling at each other and she accused him of becoming violent and "she began yelling for help because she could tell that Key was high on methamphetamine and because she also had a domestic violence order of protection against Key."

Key, she alleged, then punched her in the left side of her face with his fist and broke her tooth while they were standing in the living room of the apartment. The tooth fell out of her mouth and she continued to scream for help, she stated, because she thought Key was going to "seriously hurt her." She went to grab her cellphone and "he took it out of her hand and threw it on the ground" smashing it. She also accused him of pushing her onto a couch and yelling at her more.

When Key left, she walked to a local store and used a phone to call police and called a family member to assist her. When asked, the victim could not provide any witnesses and was surprised that while she was yelling for help, no one from a neighboring apartment attempted to reach out and help her.

Officers patrolled the area attempting to find Key but were unable to. The victim said Key was homeless but might be crashing with a friend on Garvins Falls Road. Officers checked there but were unable to find him. The reporting officer also attempted to reach Key by phone before filing a warrant for his arrest on Nov. 11.

Key was arrested later that day on domestic violence-second-degree assault, a felony, domestic violence-simple assault, domestic violence-obstructing report of a crime-injury, obstruct report of a crime-injury, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, and simple assault.

Prior Charges

Key has had a number of charges during the past two years.

In January, he was charged with sale of meth and accomplice to sale of meth charges. In that case, a detective working uncover accused Key of selling him 3.5 grams of meth while working with Christopher Becker, 32, another Concord man with a number of drug dealing priors. After meeting with Key, the pair drove to Village Street in Penacook to meet with Becker. After the deal was done, the detective accused Key of requesting to drive to Fairfield Drive to cut the meth up because "he was not comfortable doing it in the car" which the detective agreed to do. From there, the affidavit stated, Key "handed me the methamphetamine to complete the sale."

Six days later, the detective accused Key of working on another meth deal, this time, for 7 grams, again with Becker. The detective picked Key and then, they drive to the Regency Hill Estates apartment complex to meet up with Becker, the affidavit stated. From there, they drove to another apartment building and the detective accused Becker of conducting the deal with him.

Becker was indicted on the drug dealing charges earlier this year.

While attempting to sort out the drug dealing charges, Key was arrested in Concord on a warrant as well as simple assault and domestic violence-simple assault after two incidents in June.

On July 11, the drug dealing charges were nolle pros and a few weeks later, Key was called to court again for a dispositional conference where the charges were reduced to controlled drug act; acts prohibited on Aug. 1.

Later that day, Key was arrested again in Concord, this time on domestic violence-stalking and two counts of breach of bail.

Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the removal request process for New Hampshire Patch police reports.

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