STARKSBORO — A Starksboro man on June 10 pleaded innocent in Addison Superior Court, criminal division, to a felony count of first-degree aggravated domestic assault and two other charges stemming from allegations he choked a woman on April 19, and then prevented the same woman from leaving a Starksboro home and calling police during a separate incident on June 9.
Robert Meacham, 38, of Starksboro faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in jail and/or a $25,000 fine if convicted on the felony assault charge. He’s also been charged with felony second-degree unlawful restraint and misdemeanor charge of interfering with access to emergency services, related to the June 9 incident.
The victim told police that Meacham “shoved her up against a wall and choked her” in a Starksboro home on April 19 after complaining about the odor of the deodorant she had used, according to a court affidavit filed by Vermont State Police Trooper Sean Hauter. She alleged to police that Meacham had applied a strong enough grasp on her throat that she experienced a hard time breathing, according to court records.
The victim told police Meacham took her car keys after complaining she was being noisy while getting ready for work during the morning of June 9, according to Hauter’s affidavit. Meacham then allegedly grabbed the victim’s phone — and held onto it for an hour — after she began dialing 911 for police help, according to court records.
Ultimately, Meacham returned the victim’s car keys and phone after she allegedly agreed to buy him some coffee creamer, according to court records. The victim instead went to the Vermont State Police barracks to report the allegations, according to Hauter’s affidavit.
Police said they took Meacham into custody during the morning of Monday, June 10, and he was ordered held on $7,500 bail, according to court records. Meacham experienced what police described as a “medical issue” while being taken to the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility, which prompted a detour to Porter Hospital, according to state police.