Staff photo by Dean Shalhoup Adam Larose, who was given suspended prison sentences Tuesday in the May assault of his father, listens to Judge Charles Temple at his plea and sentencing hearing. With him are his attorneys, Paul Borchardt, left, and Daniel Dinardio.

NASHUA – Superior Court Judge Charles Temple listened intently Tuesday morning as a Nashua man of about 60 years said his adult son “was made with a lot of love,” and praised him as “a great father” who has struggled for years with suppressed childhood demons and who has bravely battled recurring episodes of drug

addiction.

The son, Adam Larose, 35, also listened intently, and occasionally emotionally, from his seat at the defense table, where he was flanked by his attorneys, Paul Borchardt and Daniel Donadio.

The father’s fairly lengthy remarks to the court came during Tuesday’s plea and sentencing hearing for Larose, who reached an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to one felony count each of second-degree assault – domestic violence and possession of a controlled drug, and, in what’s known as a “capped plea” agreement, leave it up the judge to determine his

sentence.

What set the hearing apart from most was that Larose’s father, the man who stood up and praised his son at length and pleaded with the court to not send him to prison, is also the victim of what was described as the “horrific” and “vicious” attack that Larose now admits to carrying out on the evening of May 2.

Temple, after spending about 40 minutes digesting the testimony and reviewing notes and a forensic expert’s evaluation of Larose, returned to the bench and told the parties he would be imposing a sentence that “for me, is not typical at all.”

Temple adopted in full the defense recommendation that both of Larose’s prison sentences be suspended in their entirety, so he can seek the drug and mental health treatment he needs in the community rather than in prison, where options could be limited.

The prosecutor, Assistant County Attorney Michele Battaglia, had recommended that Larose serve 3 1/2-7 years in State Prison on the assault charge, minus the roughly six months he has already spent in jail.

Both of their recommendations carried a suspended, 2 1/2-5 prison sentence on the drug charge.

The agreement comes with a 5-year probation period, during which Larose must engage in all counseling and treatment programs as recommended by probation officials, stay away from alcohol and illegal drugs, remain on good behavior, and take a tour of the New Hampshire State Prison when it can be arranged by probation and prison officials.

Temple scheduled a hearing for 9 a.m. on June 19 to review the status of Larose’s case.

The attack, according to Battaglia, was sparked by a brief verbal argument that erupted when Larose came home to the apartment he’d been sharing with his father.

Larose struck him several times, “threw him to the floor and continued assaulting him,” she told the court. He stopped after his father was able to grab a hammer and strike him.

Although wounded to the point that a friend later said he looked “disgusting” and was covered in blood, Battaglia said, the father didn’t seek medical attention until he began getting dizzy.

He ended up, Battaglia said, with a broken jaw, which had to be wired shut; fractured ribs, a punctured lung and a broken arm, and after being treated at a Nashua hospital was transferred to Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass., for more specialized

treatment.

“It goes without saying that the victim suffered some horrible injuries in this case,” Battaglia said. Despite that, she added, she had to settle on a second-degree assault charge because Larose’s father dissuaded her from upping it to first-degree assault.

The victim “is not in agreement with my recommendation … he is not supportive of it, never has been,” Battaglia said of her recommendation that Larose go to prison for 3 1/2-7 years.

The father reaffirmed his position when he rose to address the court, saying that he forgives his son and wants to see him given the opportunity to seek help and be involved in his 6-year-old son’s life.

Larose’s childhood was less than ideal, his father said, leading to trauma that the family believes is at the root of Larose’s drug use and violent outbursts as an adult.

“He literally has a transformation” when he gets angry, his father said, adding that “most of the time, alcohol is involved.”

Larose was “having some episodes” in the days leading up the May 2 assault, his father said. When he came home that night, Larose became enraged when his father asked him to be quiet so he could hear the end of a movie.

“He started roughing me up,” he said, recalling being pinned to the floor when, in desperation, he grabbed a hammer to try to defend himself.

“I was left with the horrible decision, how hard to I hit my kid?” he told Temple. He said at that point Larose got up, went upstairs and called his brother.

“He told him that I assaulted him with a hammer,” the father said, adding that Larose didn’t realize he’d attacked his father first.

“For a month, he thought I attacked him first,” the father said.

Temple, before handing down sentence, mentioned Larose’s fairly substantial criminal record, but also noted that while the offenses indicated “that your life was spirialing out of control, it wasn’t behavior that would send you to State Prison.”

Of the May 2 attack on his father, Temple said there is “no doubt in my mind that your conduct was borne out of” certain events of childhood

trauma.

“I’m not pointing blame at your father or family, but people should have been there for you … but weren’t,” he added.

All of what he read in reports, Temple said, indicates that Larose has “never really addressed those issues. The roots of your criminal behavior lie in your history and your drug abuse,” he said.

When his turn came to address the court, Larose, wearing a full, long beard and flannel shirt, rose with his attorneys.

“First I must definitely apologize to my father,” he began, his voice breaking. “I’m blessed … how truly good a man he is.”

Now, he continued, “I need to address my mental health. I desperately need to rebuild my relationship with my family. I cannot tell you how much I miss my son,” he said.

Larose said he “wasn’t prepared for the shame I felt” once he realized he’d assaulted his father.

“I hope we can rebuild our relationship … I’m deeply remorseful,” he said, turning toward the gallery, where his father and several other family members sat for the

hearing.

“Dad, I love you very much,” he said.

Dean Shalhoup can be reached at 594-1256, dshalhoup@nashua

telegraph.com or @Telegraph_DeanS.

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