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City man pleads guilty to charges

By Dean Shalhoup - Senior Staff Writer | Dec 25, 2019

Telegraph photo by DEAN SHALHOUP A court officer escorts Francis Wool into Superior Court Monday morning for his plea and sentencing hearing. Wool pleaded guilty to nine charges in exchange for a 4-8 year prison term.

NASHUA – The family member who 27-year-old Francis A. Wool pleaded guilty Monday to violently assaulting earlier this year “really wanted to be here today,” and said in a statement, “I really hope you can straighten out your life and care for your child,” according to the statement as read by a victim/witness advocate.

“I can never forget what happened … it never goes away,” the man wrote in the statement the advocate, Cynthia Spector, read in court Monday.

She also said the man is not in good health, and, according to Assistant County Attorney Brian Greklek-McKeon, the man wants the court to lift the no-contact order that prohibits Wool from seeing him, so he can visit Wool in prison.

No ruling was made on that request, but Wool, who has been incarcerated since his arrest the night of June 7, agreed to plead guilty to nine of the 16 charges police filed against him in the wake of the tumultuous chain of events that began with a verbal argument and ended when police located and stopped the vehicle in which Wool fled the scene.

The victim “is very conflicted” over the case, and despite the seriousness of the assault, he still wants to be able to see Wool in the future.

The victim wasn’t able to attend Monday’s hearing, Spector said, because he is traveling for the holidays.

As for the negotiated plea deal, Wool entered guilty pleas to one count each of first-degree assault, second-degree assault and operating a vehicle as a habitual offender, all felonies; and two counts of simple assault – domestic violence, and one count each of aggravated driving while intoxicated, conduct after an accident, endangering the welfare of a child, and unauthorized use of a vehicle, all Class A misdemeanors.

According to the agreement, which Judge Charles Temple accepted, Wool was sentenced to four to eight years in State Prison, stand committed, on the first-degree assault charge and the two simple assault charges, to be served concurrently.

The agreement states that Wool can get one and a half years of his minimum sentence suspended if he enters, and successfully completes, treatment programs as recommended by probation, parole or corrections officials.

He is also credited with the 197 days he has spent in jail, the agreement states.

On the second-degree assault charge, Wool was sentenced to three and a half to seven years in prison, all suspended for five years after his release on the stand-committed sentence.

The sentence on the habitual offender charges, two and half to five years in prison, is likewise suspended for five years after his release.

On the aggravated DWI charge, Wool was sentenced to 17 days in jail, with 12 days suspended, and fined $750, on the condition he obtains a substance use disorder evaluation and receives recommended treatment.

The remaining three misdemeanor charges each brought a 12-month jail sentence, all suspended for five years on the condition of good behavior and following orders.

Additionally, Wool’s driver’s license is revoked for 18 months. When it is restored, he must install an Interlock device on his vehicle and use it for one year.

The possibility Wool may be ordered to pay restitution to the city for the damage he caused by crashing into a fence outside the Amherst Street Fire Station, as well as to the victim for medical expenses, will be the subject of a future hearing, the parties agreed.

In June, meanwhile, the victim ended up in the hospital with various injuries ranging from lacerations and bruises to a stab wound, punches in the mouth that knocked out a tooth, and a concussion, police said at the time.

A female witness told police Wool “viciously assaulted” the man, using as weapons a folding chair, a metal lawn tool, a knife and his fists.

Another witness, one of several police interviewed, told police he saw Wool sitting on top of the man continuously smashing his head on the curb.”

Interviewed at police headquarters following his arrest and booking, Wool “made admissions to being under the influence of narcotics and alcohol” at the time of the incident, according to police.

Wool also told police he “could not recall much about the fight” with the victim, “but that he ‘must have beat him up.'”

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