BATH, Maine — A man found guilty in January of assaulting his 67-year-old mother in their Phippsburg home will begin serving 18 months of a three-year jail sentence Wednesday.
Joseph Marco, 45, of Phippsburg has been under house arrest with electronic monitoring since he was sentenced March 24 by Justice Andrew Horton, according to court documents. He is due to report to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset on Wednesday.
After a three-day trial and three-hour deliberation, a Sagadahoc County Superior Court jury found Marco guilty Jan. 21 of domestic violence assault but not guilty of aggravated assault. Two counts of domestic violence terrorizing were dismissed.
Horton sentenced Marco to three years with all but 18 months suspended and four years of probation. He faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the Class C felony.
Marco was arrested April 23, 2014, at his home after an altercation that prosecutors said included an attempt to strangle the victim — “the intentional impeding of breathing or circulation” — which under a new Maine law elevates the crime to Class B aggravated assault.
Assistant District Attorney Patricia Mador told the jury Marco entered the kitchen that day “in a rage [and] grabbed her by the throat and rammed her up against the countertop,” causing the woman’s head to hit a cabinet. Another witness said Marco then “grabbed her by the throat with his hands.”
Marco has served time at the Maine Correctional Facility in Windham for felony charges including theft, assault on an officer and terrorizing. He also has been convicted of misdemeanors, including assault, harassment by telephone and terrorizing.
In December, Marco was indicted for felony trafficking in prison contraband and the misdemeanors of unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs and violation of conditions of release for allegedly trading his antipsychotic medication for food, the Wiscasset Newspaper reported. The status of that case was not immediately available Friday morning.
In January, Marco’s attorney, Christopher Ledwick, said he hoped Marco’s sentence would include treatment for his illness, on which Ledwick would not elaborate.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.