Men claim poor quality of cocaine led to assault
Toolbox
By Josh O'Gorman STAFF WRITER - Published: October 23, 2009
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Two Chester men have denied charges that a cocaine deal gone bad led them to assault a man, according to court records.
On Oct. 5, Patrick A. Wilson, 24, pleaded innocent in White River Junction District Court to a felony charge of assault and robbery with injury, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 in prison. He is free on $5,000 bail.
On Oct. 13, Christopher R. Bush, 22, also pleaded innocent in the same court to assault and robbery with injury, and a misdemeanor charge of providing false information to police.
He is being held in Springfield prison on $10,000 bail.
According to affidavits filed with the court, shortly after 3 a.m. on Sept. 8, Matthew Hale, 30, called Springfield police to complain that Wilson and Bush had just assaulted him outside his Spencer Hollow Road home. Hale told police the two had just left in a white Mercury Cougar, and while en route to Hale's house, police received a report that car matching that description had just crashed on Greeley Road, less than a mile from Hale's residence, records state.
Police spoke with Hale, who said that shortly after 2 a.m., he had received a call from Wilson asking for help because his car had broken down, affidavits state. Hale said Wilson arrived minutes later in Bush's car, and as he approached the car he saw someone lying across the back seat, police said.
Hale told police Wilson asked him how much money he had, got out of the car and began to punch him in the head, records state. Bush emerged from the back seat and kicked Hale in the head several times before Hale ran to a neighbor's house for help and Bush and Wilson drove away, according to affidavits.
Later that day, police interviewed Bush, who initially claimed Wilson had borrowed his car without asking — and even signed a sworn written statement to that effect — but later recanted his story, leading to the charge of providing false information to police.
On Sept. 22, police interviewed Wilson, who told police that on the night in question, he and Bush were drinking at Wilson's house and decided they wanted some cocaine, so they went to Hale's house and bought a gram for $100, affidavits state. But, when they got the cocaine home and tried to cook up the cocaine so they could smoke it, they found Hale's product of inferior quality and they returned to his house for a refund, which led to the altercation, records state.
Wilson told police he crashed Bush's car as he sped away from Hale's house, police said.
josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com
40