Bernardston man sentenced to three years in prison in connection to 2019 attack
GREENFIELD– A Bernardston man was sentenced to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to six felony charges connected to a May 10, 2019 incident in Bernardston.
Antonio Candello, 51, pleaded guilty in Franklin Superior Court Tuesday to charges of strangulation (subsequent offense,) assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault and battery on a family member (subsequent offense) and two counts of witness intimidation.
The charges stem from an incident in May, 2019 when a distraught woman was brought by a good Samaritan to the Bernardston police station with apparent injuries, telling police that Candello had attacked her. The woman explained that Candello apparently blamed her for another criminal matter he was caught up in.
Police called for emergency help to aid the woman. When police went to arrest Candello, they discovered he had fled the area. Police located and arrested him five days later, and he has been held without bail since then. Later, Candello attempted to communicate with the victim from jail via a letter in which he pressured her to recant.
“The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office is pleased that a repeat offender of intimate partner violence was held accountable today. That accountability was a direct result of community action. Several good Samaritans assisted in not only intervening in violence that was already occurring, but also in reporting continued risk of violence to the victim,” said ADA Erin Aiello. “The trauma-informed approach utilized by first responders aided in the investigation and subsequent outcome. This case highlights the importance of a coordinated response to intimate partner violence.”
As part of the plea agreement recommended jointly by ADA Aiello and defense attorney Fred Chamberland, the Commonwealth dismissed charges of kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a family member, attempting to violate an abuse prevention order, violation of an abuse prevention order, and three counts of solicitation to commit murder. Candello’s case had been set for trial Monday, but he opted to change his plea in today’s hearing before Franklin Superior Court Justice Francis Flannery. Candello will receive credit for the time spent in confinement awaiting trial.
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Criminal charges are based on probable cause to believe a person has committed a crime.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.