Wentworth Man Pleads Guilty to Choking Concord Woman

CONCORD, NH — A New Hampshire arrested last year for throttling a woman during an encounter on South Spring Street has pleaded guilty to an assault charge and been sentenced to a year in prison, according to court documents and his public defender. Jordan Newberry, 21, pleaded guilty to a single felony count of second-degree assault in Merrimack County Superior Court in January as part of a plea deal.

Editor’s Note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Merrimack County Superior Court. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

According to a court affidavit and arrest report, during the early morning hours of Jan. 4, 2016, police were sent to South Spring Street for an incident involving a woman who was upset about an encounter she had had with Newberry, a friend of hers, for about five years. During the liaison, Newberry “placed his hand on her neck at one point and applied pressure to the point that she could not talk,” according to the accusation in the report. Newberry later fell asleep but other women at the home told him to leave but he reportedly refused to until they threatened to call police, according to the affidavit.

After an examination at Concord Hospital, an officer took pictures of the woman’s injuries, including “very obvious marks.” After a two-month investigation – including interviews with Newberry, where he reportedly denied there were any issues – he was arrested.

According to his public defender, Newberry was sentenced to 3.5 to seven years in the New Hampshire State Prison. Of that, 2.5 years of the minimum and three years of the maximum have been suspended for five years, based on good behavior and other requirements. He must also have no contact with the woman and must undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation, approved by the state, and comply with any recommendations made after the eval.

Newberry is eligible to be released in January 2018, and will be on parole for three years after that, according to his attorney.