Man in court after dog thwarts attack in New Hampshire

MANCHESTER, N.H. —

The man accused of assaulting a woman in his home and then his neighbor before the neighbor’s dog thwarted the attack said he was on drugs at the time.

Donald Pierce, 55, was in court Tuesday for a bail hearing after deciding to waive a probable-cause hearing. He faces numerous charges, including first-degree assault.

In arguing for $4,000 cash bail, the defense noted that Pierce had never been arrested before and offered an explanation for what happened that night.

According to prosecutors, on July 7, Pierce was nude when he brutally attacked an 86-year-old neighbor, sending him to the hospital.

Pierce is also accused of repeatedly striking a woman in his home prior to the alleged attack against his neighbor.

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The prosecution said that given the nature of these assaults, Pierce represents a danger to the community, outlining to the court the injuries suffered by the neighbor.

“As a result, E.T. has suffered a brain bleed and a potential broken collarbone. Officers observed him to have two large gashes — one on the back of his head, one towards the front of his forehead, both bleeding profusely,” prosecutor Jessica Cane said.

However, the defense called the events of that early morning an aberration and said that Pierce wasn’t in his right mind.

“(It) appears to have been the result of him ingesting hallucinogenic mushrooms and having an extremely bad reaction,” defense attorney Robert Swales said.

While Ned Tarmey remains in the hospital, his nephew said he is improving, and is hoping to be moved to a rehabilitation setting soon. However, he will likely remain hospitalized until July 23 at the earliest.

The judge said that he wanted to research some materials before issuing his opinion on whether Pierce should be free on bail while he awaits a trial. The decision could come as soon as Tuesday, but in all likelihood this case will head to superior court.