The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has upheld the conviction of a former Nokomis Regional High School music teacher who assaulted his then-girlfriend.

The high court’s opinion, released Tuesday, rejected arguments Andrew Maderios made in his appeal that the trial court had erred in allowing certain witnesses to testify and evidence to be admitted.

Maderios, 30, formerly of Pittsfield, was convicted last year of aggravated assault and domestic violence assault. He was sentenced to 15 years with all but three years suspended and six years of probation, with the first two of those years to include electronic monitoring.

In his appeal on behalf of Maderios, Auburn defense attorney Leonard Sharon had stated that the trial judge erred in excluding evidence of the prior conduct of the victim to show her motive, intent or plan in accusing Maderios of beating, kicking and strangling her.

Sharon also challenged the admission of audio recordings and photographs as evidence in the trial said the court erred in not granting a mistrial on the basis of “improper comments” made by the prosecutor, District Attorney Maeghan Maloney.

Prosecutors have said that Maderios beat, kicked and choked the victim over several months, from December 2013 to July 2014. The woman, whom the Morning Sentinel is not identifying because she is a victim of domestic violence, used her iPhone to document the attacks at the couple’s Pittsfield home with audio recordings and still photographs, which became key evidence in the five-day trial.

“The fear of dying was overwhelming,” the victim told Justice Mullen at sentencing, her voice quivering. She said she was sorry she “brought a monster” into her children’s lives.

 


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