Matthew Church during his arraignment at Haverhill District Court.
Pre-trial motions are to continue Wednesday, May 11, in the Haverhill District Court case of a Georgetown man, who was accused last September of physical abuse against his wife who later died.
Matthew Church, 33, of Georgetown, remains charged with one count of assault and battery on a household member, according to Steve O’Connell, spokesperson for Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett. A pre-trial, or “motions” hearing, has received continuance several times since beginning last Dec. 29. The latest continuance was granted during a court session last Wednesday. Further details were not released. As of last month, a trial date was not set, according to Blodgett’s office.
As WHAV reported earlier, Church has been held without bail since his Sept. 1 arrest by Georgetown police. The arrest stemmed from a call Church allegedly made to his probation officer, who in turn, notified police. According to Essex Assistant District Attorney Kim Faitella, Church reported the victim, later identified as Kate Elizabeth (Lampron) Church, 31, fell and hit her chin on a sink after she had been drinking. However, police found the victim was not under the influence but did suffer other bruises to her arms, legs and back. Police found the victim dead during a return call.
Prior to his arrest, Church had been on probation in connection with an alleged assault case in April, 2015, out of Gloucester. Last May, it was continued without a finding for 15 months.