Man who shot gun near infant ordered to special court

LACONIA — A judge has ordered a Tilton man to participate in a special court program after he admitted in court that he shot a rifle in a house where an infant was present.

Kevin Matthews, 50, of Gusty Road, in Tilton, pleaded guilty in Belknap Superior Court to a charge of domestic violence criminal threatening.

Judge Tina Nadeau sentenced Matthews to 12 months in the House of Correction, with credit for the 61 days he had spent in confinement prior to Tuesday’s plea-and-sentencing hearing, but suspended the sentence on the condition that Matthews complete the Veterans Court program.

Veterans Court, which is held in Manchester and Nashua, is a program for veterans or active duty service members who have been charged with a criminal offense and have a diagnosed or diagnosable behavioral health issue or mental illness that contributed to the behavior which led to their being charged.

According to an affidavit filed in support of his arrest, Matthews, in the heat of an argument, grabbed a rifle and shot one round from the weapon into the ceiling of his residence, while a 4-month-old child was in the home.

The neighbor who called police reported seeing two women with a child jumping out of a window at the residence shortly after the shot was fired, the affidavit stated. Matthews turned himself into Tilton police about 10 minutes later.

The Belknap County Attorney’s office dropped three counts of domestic violence criminal threatening and a DWI charge against Matthews.