Man Faces Second-Degree Assault Charge

A Concord man was arrested last month after an alleged assault during the summer assault that put a man in the hospital.

Scott E. Berounsky, 47, of Concord, was arrested at 2:51 p.m. on Dec. 3, on a second-degree assault felony charge.

According to court documents, officers were called to an apartment on South State Street at around 6 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2013, for a report of an assault, with a woman reporting that Berounsky had allegedly assaulted her boyfriend. Berounsky had allegedly fled the scene, according to the report. The first responding officer reported that the woman alleged that her boyfriend was punched. The boyfriend was in a bedroom lying on his side, with “checks (that) were swollen and that he had dried blood around both his mouth and nose,” according to the report.

Fire and rescue teams assisted with medical attention but before leaving for the hospital and nodding off, the man also alleged that Berounsky had punched him.

A few hours later, the hospital notified police that the victim had a broken jaw and a perforated bowel, both of which required surgery.

An officer spoke to the tenant who had the apartment who said he heard the two men exchanging words and stepped outside on a porch. The tenant later didn’t want to speak about the incident but reportedly said that Berounsky allegedly punched the victim in the face and the tenant broke up the fight.

Two days later, a detective and the officer interviewed the girlfriend who stated that she and the victim had been dating for about seven years but that she had previously dated Berounsky. She reportedly said that Berounsky didn’t like the victim because he “treats her poorly,” according to court documents.

The woman stated that on the day in question, they were all hanging out behind the state liquor store on Storrs Street with some homeless people drinking beers. Berounsky allegedly stated that the victim was a “sh-t bag” and he wanted to hurt him. They eventually went to South State Street to hang out and back to her place to check on her dog. The victim went back to the apartment and she later met him. When she returned, she found him lying on the floor, his face covered in blood, according to the investigators.

The investigators went back to the apartment to speak to the tenant and asked him to run through the day’s events again. The victim asked the tenant for a beer but he was out and offered to buy more if the victim was willing to go and get some, which he later did, according to the tenant. The two had some beers and the victim became inebriated and went to lay down for a bit.

Berounsky and his girlfriend reportedly arrived at the apartment and he “just went off the wall” screaming at the victim, the tenant alleged. Berounsky allegedly began yelling at the victim telling him to leave and that he was “a piece of sh-t.” The tenant alleged that Berounsky “bent over and gave him a f---ing whack,” according to the officer. The tenant jumped up and told him to get out and began helping the victim.

The officer then reached out to Berounsky who agreed to speak with the officer, according to the report. Berounsky allegedly stated that he had known the victim for about six years and had previously dated his girlfriend for 10 years before him. 

According to Berounsky, he had breakfast with his ex that morning and then they all hung out together for a bit, caring for her dog. He reportedly said he was with the tenant on his roof and porch for a bit too and left but later came back to the apartment. Berounsky allegedly stated that the victim showed up and got mad and said something to start an argument with his ex. He said the victim then left and he went to the store to get beer for the tenant, according to the report. When he returned, he heard about a fight happening, he allegedly said.

The officer asked Berounsky to explain why the tenant would say that he hit the victim and he reportedly said he had no idea. The officer noted that Berounsky allegedly stated he was only standing near him but never hit him.

“Berounsky never made any mention to me prior to this statement explaining to me that he saw or found (the victim) in a position where he would have the ability to stand near or over (the victim),” the officer wrote.

Berounsky allegedly stated he “couldn’t stand” the victim but didn’t hit him. The officer suggested that he doubted that the tenant could hit the victim that hard and do such damage. Berounsky reportedly agreed, according to the court documents. 

When the officer stated that everyone there had placed the blame on him for the assault and that there was animosity between the two, he reportedly agreed, and added that he always loved and cared for his ex and the way that the victim neglected her aggravated him. The officer kept questioning Berounsky about the incident and later, asked if there was any kind of physical contact between the two.

Berounsky allegedly stated that he may have leaned over the victim and put his hand on his shoulder and said, “Finally someone got ya,” according to the report.

“This statement would show that Berounsky would have known (how the victim) was positioned following the assault,” the officer alleged in an affidavit. “Berounsky later told me, regarding the investigation that ‘It don’t look good, I know that,’ as I told him it was going to be tough for him going forward."

Berounsky has a number of previous arrests, according to published reports online. 

He was arrested on August 2011 on South State Street and charged with being a habitual offender, conduct after an accident, resisting arrest or detention, criminal threatening (intimidation), and driving while intoxicated (2nd offense).

Twice in May 2006, Berounsky was arrested. Once, he was charged with felony DWI in Kittery, Maine, according to the Seacoastonline.com. The second arrest involved an operating after suspension charge. 

Editor’s note: The following story was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and Concord District Court. It does not indicate a conviction.