NASHUA – The testimony Thursday of police detectives involved in investigating the physical skirmish between a Crown Hill couple last December confirmed what the attorneys on both sides indicated from the outset of David Vasquez-Larkin’s jury trial: That his and the alleged victim’s accounts of the incident have few similarities.

Vasquez-Larkin, 33, is on trial this week on allegations he strangled his wife and punched her multiple times on Dec. 23, when a verbal argument turned physical in the garage of their Arlington Street residence.

Testimony in the trial wrapped up about 3 p.m. Thursday, at which time Judge Jacalyn Colburn dismissed the jury for the day, with instructions to return Friday morning, at which time the lawyers are scheduled to present their closing arguments.

Jury instructions will follow, after which the jurors will begin deliberations.

Thursday’s testimony marked the second day of trial before the jury of eight men and six women, including the two alternates, in Hillsborough County Superior Court-South.

Vasquez-Larkin, who has been free on bail since shortly after his arrest in early January, faces a total of 11 charges stemming from the incident, which took place at the Arlington Street home they shared until Vasquez-Larkin’s arrest.

They include two counts of second-degree assault-domestic violence, Class B felonies, and nine counts of simple assault-domestic violence, Class A misdemeanors.

Nashua police officer David Carrigan, who was the first of three detectives to take the stand Thursday, said that after interviewing the alleged victim, he contacted Vasquez-Larkin on Jan. 1 at a hospital in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he was receiving in-patient psychiatric care.

Vasquez-Larkin agreed to go to Nashua police headquarters for an interview, Carrigan said, but Vasquez-Larkin said he would go the next day because he needed to get the OK to leave the hospital.

Carrigan, questioned by attorney Elliot Friedman, who is representing Vasquez-Larkin with attorney Marc Gouthro, described Vasquez-Larkin as “compliant” in answering questions, and at times apologized when he couldn’t remember something.

On at least one occasion, upon answering a question by Carrigan, Vasquez-Larkin said he wasn’t able to remember what happened, but the alleged victim “said it happened, so it must have happened.”

While the charges against the woman accuse him of throwing her on a couch, getting on top of her, grabbing onto her hands, strangling her and punching her eight times in the chest, Vasquez-Larkin’s account of that sequence, as told to Carrigan, differs considerably, Friedman said.

The alleged victim “was yelling” as she “came at him,” Carrigan testified. Vasquez-Larkin “grabbed (the woman’s) hands … moved her to a couch and pinned her down,” according to his version.

“He told her to stop, (that) he didn’t want to play this game,” Vasquez-Larkin told Carrigan, the detective testified. He allegedly said he “never intended to hit her … his intention was to de-escalate the situation.”

In wrapping up the interview, Carrigan testified, he asked Vasquez-Larkin “whose fault do you think this is?, referring to the alleged assault.

“Mine,” Vasquez-Larkin responded, to which Carrigan said he replied “that’s all I want to hear.”

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