One person charged in alleged domestic assault in Belmont

BELMONT — A man accused of brutally assaulting two people waived his right for a hearing on the evidence in his case Wednesday, and is held in jail until he can appear in Superior Court.

Nathaniel R. Kay, 42, of Belmont, is being held at the Belknap County Jail pending a future appearance in Belknap County Superior Court.

Kay, who was represented by attorney Eliana Forciniti Wednesday afternoon in Laconia District Court, waived his right to a probable cause hearing. His case will be elevated to Belknap County Superior Court, Forciniti said Wednesday.

Kay was booked into jail at 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 15, according to jail records. He is facing 10 charges, according to district court records: two for domestic violence; two for kidnapping; four for assault; and two for restraining his alleged victims.

In charging documents, a sworn statement by law enforcement officers which outlines facts and evidence to support criminal charges, Belmont Police Chief Stephen Akerstrom indicated police had evidence Kay committed kidnapping — a felony — assault and criminal restraint at a Cotton Hill Road address in on Oct. 14 and 15. 

Firefighters were dispatched to Cotton Hill Road just before 5:30 a.m. on Oct. 15, after receiving a report of a fall, according to the police affidavit. The individual who called, identified as one of two victims in the alleged crimes, reported two people had fallen down the stairs. That caller said they were in the kitchen, but another victim was upstairs, and the caller wasn't sure if the other victim was conscious or breathing.

Firefighters responded to the residence and identified the second victim. At 5:42 a.m., firefighters requested police come to the scene. Akerstrom and Cpl. Patrick Riley also went to the house. Akerstrom met with an ambulance located at the intersection of Cotton Hill and Province roads, and learned from one victim that Kay had physically assaulted the two over the course of 12 hours, the last attack occurring two or three hours prior to the emergency call.

Kay allegedly punched and kicked the victims, bound them with a clothesline, and dragged them into a garage, where the beatings continued, a victim told police. The victims were then dragged back to the house, beaten throughout, according to a statement to police. 

One of the victims apparently convinced Kay to let them call for an ambulance due to concerns over the other victims’ deteriorating condition. The victim was told they could make the call, but had to tell authorities the injuries occurred from falling down the stairs. 

Police observed bruising to and around one of the victim's eyes where they said they received the beating. That victim asked police to look for dogs at the home, concerned over the animals' well-being. Riley and Akerstrom went to the property and encountered Kay, who was inside. 

They spoke, and asked Kay to walk outside, which he did after several requests. In the driveway, Kay was arrested on charges of domestic violence.

Police brought Kay to the station for booking. Akerstrom went into the home to search for the dogs and found one in a kennel on the first floor. A hamper in the same room contained brown pants which appeared to have dried blood on them. He also observed blood throughout the house on the floor. 

One victim was transported by ambulance to Concord Hospital-Laconia. The other appeared to have an altered state of mind, and paramedics believed they were suffering a head injury. That victim was intubated and transported by ambulance to Concord Hospital in Concord, where they went into emergency surgery due to a brain bleed. 

The condition of the victims is unknown as of this writing. 

At about 7:41 a.m. on Oct. 15, Det. Nancy Hicks arrived at the Laconia hospital campus and spoke with a victim who said they’d also been strangled by a rope and Kay’s own hands. Hicks observed marks on the victim’s neck consistent with that description, according to the affidavit. The victim also suffered a broken nose and ribs as a result of the beating.