Police, prosecutors upset with sentence in assault case
Investigators say 3-year-old seriously injured by choke hold
Heather Hamel
Police in Exeter said they're upset by the short jail sentence given to a man who assaulted a 3-year-old girl.
Police in Exeter said they're upset by the short jail sentence given to a man who assaulted a 3-year-old girl.Click to watch News 9's coverage.Exeter police said they worked hard to gather evidence and obtain confessions, and given the severity of the girl's injuries, a six-month jail sentence isn't enough for Kevin Lynch."We are very disappointed with the decision of the bench in this case who clearly was not thinking of the victim," Capt. Stephan Poulin said.Lynch was sentenced Tuesday to a 12-month jail sentence, with six months deferred.Prosecutors said Lynch carried the girl in a choke hold from one room to the other."She had suffocated to the point where both eyes had hemorrhaged and blood had filled the eyes," Poulin said.The state asked for two to four years in prison. Assistant Rockingham County Attorney Katharine Crawford said that while she respects the judge's decision, it's hard to take."Honest opinion, we are disappointed," she said. "We went in there and put on a good case. It was a very sad and horrific set of facts."Lynch's attorneys are appealing the sentence, and police said they are concerned he might not even serve six months."When you understand that someone can get more time for driving without a license and, in this case, a 3-year-old child was injured, it is disturbing," Poulin said.Poulin said it makes him question the moral message being sent by the judge in the case."Whether intentional or not, it is sending a message, and it's not a message that's in support of any victims of these types of crimes," he said.The county attorney's office said it's looking into whether there are any legal issues that it may be able to appeal.
EXETER, N.H. —
Exeter police said they worked hard to gather evidence and obtain confessions, and given the severity of the girl's injuries, a six-month jail sentence isn't enough for Kevin Lynch.
"We are very disappointed with the decision of the bench in this case who clearly was not thinking of the victim," Capt. Stephan Poulin said.
Lynch was sentenced Tuesday to a 12-month jail sentence, with six months deferred.
Prosecutors said Lynch carried the girl in a choke hold from one room to the other.
"She had suffocated to the point where both eyes had hemorrhaged and blood had filled the eyes," Poulin said.
The state asked for two to four years in prison. Assistant Rockingham County Attorney Katharine Crawford said that while she respects the judge's decision, it's hard to take.
"Honest opinion, we are disappointed," she said. "We went in there and put on a good case. It was a very sad and horrific set of facts."
Lynch's attorneys are appealing the sentence, and police said they are concerned he might not even serve six months.
"When you understand that someone can get more time for driving without a license and, in this case, a 3-year-old child was injured, it is disturbing," Poulin said.
Poulin said it makes him question the moral message being sent by the judge in the case.
"Whether intentional or not, it is sending a message, and it's not a message that's in support of any victims of these types of crimes," he said.
The county attorney's office said it's looking into whether there are any legal issues that it may be able to appeal.