By Max Bowen-max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
A North Attleborough woman who severely injured her girlfriend was sentenced to serve up to five-and-a-half years in state prison, according to Bristol County DA Thomas Quinn III.
Tanisha Baxter, 47, pled guilty on Aug. 10 to charges of mayhem and four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
During a sentencing hearing in Fall River Superior Court before Judge William White, Assistant District Attorney Courtney Cahill argued that the due to the severity of the incident and the victim’s statements regarding daily beatings she suffered at the hands of the defendant, she should serve five-and-a-half to eight-and-a-half years in prison.
The defense, however, argued for a more lenient one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half year prison term. White eventually sentenced the defendant to serve three-and-a-half to five-and-a-half years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised probation.
According to the DA’s office, on Jan. 31, North Attleborough Police responded to a disturbance. Baxter had kicked in the door to a neighbor’s apartment where her girlfriend was seeking refuge from a previous assault. Hours prior, she had assaulted her girlfriend.
The victim was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where police observed her to have two black eyes, a large black and blue bump on her forehead, visible cuts above her eyes and on her chin, a gash along one of her arms, along with several bruises on her legs, arms, back tailbone and hips. Baxter had struck the victim with a dresser drawer and free weights, and also slashed her with a knife.
“This was a violent assault against the victim, who sustained serious injuries,” Quinn said in a statement. “This defendant has a criminal history and needs to be kept off the street to protect the public.”
Baxter has previously served time for indecent assault and battery on a child, has violated probation, and has been the defendant in three separate restraining order matters.
