Staff photo by Dean Shalhoup Douglas Duchesne, Hudson man accused of assaulting a family member and smashing windows in an ex-girlfriend's car Sunday, listened to Judge Charles Temple at his bail hearing Monday afternoon.

NASHUA – A Hudson man’s emotional account of his son’s descent into addiction, and the violent behavior that came with it, helped persuade a Superior Court judge on Monday to hold Douglas Duchesne Jr. in preventive detention for the time being.

Duchesne, 25, of 4 Lilac St., Hudson, sat with his head down for most of his roughly 25-minute bail hearing, which Judge Charles Temple conducted Monday afternoon in Hillsborough County Superior Court South.

Duchesne waived formal arraignment and entered not guilty pleas to each of the four charges stemming from the Sunday evening incident.

The charges are one count of reckless conduct – deadly weapon, a Class B felony, along with Class A misdemeanor counts of domestic violence, simple assault – domestic violence, and criminal mischief.

After hearing from Assistant County Attorney Brett Harpster and Attorney Sarah Amorin, Duchesne’s public defender, and reviewing Duchesne’s record and weighing his father’s input, Temple declined Amorin’s recommendation for personal recognizance bail. Amorin said the bail would have allowed her client to immediately seek the treatment he needs for his addiction.

However, Duchesne has refused treatment in the past, Temple noted in ordering him jailed pending an evidentiary hearing, which Temple said the defense can request if it desires.

His order is also based on his belief that, if released, Duchesne would present a danger to himself as well as the public, as well as the fact Duchesne violated a recent bail order.

Temple also cited “the compelling testimony” Duchesne’s father delivered to the court.

The charges accuse Duchesne of first assaulting another family member by allegedly pushing her into a set of kitchen cabinets, causing a laceration to her head, and then pushing her to the ground in the driveway of her home.

Then, allegedly in a rage over the fact his girlfriend was ending their relationship, Duchesne is accused of using “a large brick” to smash out the driver’s side and rear driver’s side windows of the girlfriend’s car, and as she tried to speed off, allegedly smashing out the car’s rear window, according to police and Harpster’s account in court.

Police said officers responding to a call for a disturbance at approximately 5 p.m. Sunday located Duchesne the next street over from the Lilac Street residence and indicated he was in a “highly intoxicated” state.

The ex-girlfriend told police she was in the process of moving out of the residence and she was there Sunday to gather her belongings when Duchesne allegedly became “extremely angry.”

Duchesne’s father, meanwhile, struggled at times while addressing the court during Monday’s hearing. He told Temple about his repeated attempts to get his son into treatment in hopes of pulling him out of the downward spiral of addiction.

While Harpster recommended jail for Duchesne, Amorin told Temple “the court has an opportunity to take Doug at his word … that he would go to Safe Stations, get a bed and stay there,” she said.

If Duchesne’s counsel doesn’t request an evidentiary hearing, his next court hearing would be a Dec. 3 dispositional conference.

Dean Shalhoup can be reached at 594-1256, dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com or @Telegraph_DeanS.