Matthew Church last Sept. 2 at Haverhill District Court.
A Georgetown man, whose wife died after a domestic dispute last fall, will serve a year in jail.
As a result of plea deal, Matthew Church, 33, of Georgetown, admitted guilt Wednesday in Haverhill District Court to a charge of assault and battery on a household member. He was sentenced by Judge Stephen S. Abany to two years in the House of Correction, with one year to be served and the balance suspended for 18 months, according to Carrie Kimball-Monahan, spokesperson for Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.
The case proved especially difficult for Blodgett’s office. A medical examiner was unable to conclusively conclude injuries Church’s wife, Kate Elizabeth (Lampron) Church, received during a domestic fight, led to her death. The 31-year-old woman also suffered from an underlying medical issue. The autopsy, however, did show “blunt force trauma.”
Church and Assistant District Attorney Kim Faitella came to agreement on sentencing, but disagreed on conditions. Abany, however, allowed Faitella’s argument for conditions.
“He was ordered to participate in a Batterers’ Intervention Program, obtain a substance abuse evaluation and any treatment deemed necessary, remain drug and alcohol free with random screens,” Kimball-Monahan told WHAV.
Church had been held since his arrest last Sept. 1, by Georgetown police
As WHAV has reported since his Sept. 2 arraignment, Church reported his wife 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, according to Faitella. The victim refused an emergency medical team’s suggestion to be hospitalized for concern of possible serious internal injury. She was later found dead during a return police call. Autopsy results were not made public.
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.
Kate Church was born in March,1984, in Northampton. She graduated from Northampton High School in 2002 and proceeded to graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders. She worked as a highly skilled speech therapist, starting her career at the Gerena Montessori and the Arts Magnet School in Springfield. In December, 2009, she and her husband Matthew moved to eastern Massachusetts to pursue her passion as a speech therapist at the Webster School, Everett, and spent the last two years of her career providing therapy to special needs students at the Madeline English School, also in Everett.
So sad. Her co workers did care and there was a dedication made at the Webster School. A plaque was hung and stories were told. The Everett advocate – Friday April 22 reported the story and pictures. It is sad that it was a difficult case, Kate taught autistic children to communicate, she was amazing.