WESTFIELD – A city woman will be on probation a year after she submitted to the facts presented by the district attorney and admitted that the Commonwealth would be able to secure a guilty verdict for charges of assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
A charge of attempted murder was not prosecuted.
The charges stem from a Dec. 17 incident when police responded to a report of a stabbing on Jefferson Street.
Officer Patrick Shea reported that when he arrived in the area a resident pointed out the victim who was on a Jefferson Street porch and said that he had been stabbed.
The man showed Shea a puncture wound in his stomach which was bleeding and said that his girlfriend “went crazy” and stabbed him.
The officer summoned an ambulance and, after returning to his cruiser for his medical kit, applied a bandage to the wound and instructed the victim to maintain pressure.
By that time additional officers had arrived and Officer Harry Sienkiewicz stayed with the victim while Shea, assisted by officers Scott Phelon and Stephen Gonglik, crossed the street to speak with the suspect, Darlene Morse, 46, of 3 Jefferson St., at her home.
Shea reports he immediately detected an odor of alcohol about Morse who said that an argument had developed between herself and her boyfriend and he went crazy while she was preparing mashed potatoes.
Morse said that the man grabbed her hands which were holding a knife and stabbed himself, in his abdomen, while controlling her hands.
Shea reported that “(the victim’s) wound did not appear to be self inflicted.”
Shea arrested Morse and she was arraigned in Westfield District Court.
Morse posted $1,000 cash bail and was ordered to remain alcohol-free when she was released Jan. 15, 2013.
Morse was taken back into custody June 4 by officers Andrew Cekovsky and Michael Kane after the probation department obtained a warrant and she appeared before Judge Philip A. Contant June 17, who accepted the recommendation of Assistant District Attorney Mary Partyka and allowed Morse to submit to the facts Partyka presented.
In doing so, Morse avoided the possibility of a guilty verdict and the charges, which were continued for the year Morse will be on probation, will be dismissed if the probation terms are not violated.
Contant ordered that the terms of probation include a stipulation that she remain alcohol free and make herself available for testing to ensure she does so.
In addition, Morse is enjoined from making any threats or violence toward the victim.
She was assessed a $90 victim/witness fee and will have to pay a $65 monthly probation service fee although that fee may be waived if she performs community service work.
