Former city Alderman Keith Maynard will spend at least two and half years in prison for assaulting his fiancee in July 2009.
Maynard had hid in the home he shared with Ida Marie Lucarelli, and attacked her when she arrived home. He was wearing a mask, so she didn’t know it was him. The two were married four days later.
Under a plea agreement accepted Wednesday, Maynard has pleaded no contest to second-degree assault in the incident.
A no contest plea means Maynard is not admitting the facts in the case, but accepts the state prosecutors have enough information to convict him at a trial.
Maynard, who is free on bonds totaling $135,000, also pleaded no contest to two counts of violating a protective order. That was for trying to contact the victim twice since his arrest.
Contact and Violations
Maynard tried to contact Ida as recently as September 2010, according to police, despite being warned several times during previous court hearings and being ordered to wear a GPS tracking device.
Details of his latest violation of the protective order were revealed for the first time at Maynard’s hearing Wednesday.
On Sept. 26, Maynard contacted Ida while she was in an Ansonia coffee shop, according to state prosecutor Marjorie Sozanski. Maynard called Ida’s cell phone against court orders — and then called the cell phone of a friend she was with. Maynard allegedly told the friend to get Ida out of there, Sozanski said.
Police determined Maynard had made the calls by verifying his phone records, Sozanksi said.
It was the latest in a series of attempted contacts and alleged violations of the protective order and terms of release for Maynard.
Maynard was also arrested last April for violating the protective order in October 2009 — again by trying to call Ida.
“All of these violations … she just can’t heal,” said Ida’s sister, Jennifer Lucarelli, who has acted as a family spokesperson throughout the court case.
The Plea Agreement
As part of the plea agreement, the state prosecutor’soffice dropped two other pending charges against Maynard from the attack — first-degree unlawful restraint and first-degree reckless endangerment.
They also dropped later harassment charges that had to do with his repeated contact with her after he was arrested.
Under the agreement, Sozanski recommended a sentence of eight years, suspended after no more than three years served. The sentence has a minimum of two and a half years in prison.
The exact amount of prison time will be determined by a Superior Court judge at Maynar’s Jan. 31 sentencing.
Maynard had faced up to 15 years in prison and a $15,000 fine for the three charges.
Under the plea agreement, Maynard will have five years of probation once he is released from prison.
He will be required to submit a DNA sample to the state and will be prohibited from having any contact with Ida.
Maynard did not say anything during his court appearance Wednesday, except for “Yes, your honor,” and “No, your honor” when answering Judge Burton Kaplan’s questions about his ability to enter a plea.
Maynard’s two attorneys, John Kelly and Gary Mastronardi, entered Maynard’s pleas for him.
Outside the courtroom, Maynard walked away from a reporter seeking comment. Kelly declined to comment, saying the plea is “self-explanatory.”
Ida’s Family
“Today was the first truth Keith Maynard has told throughout this nightmare — stating that he was guilty of violently beating my sister, Ida,” Lucarelli said. “I hope he forever lives in pain with the guilt knowing he has ruined his life on July 1, 2009, because he chose to beat my sister, then marry her days later.”
Lucarelli said she expects Ida will speak during the sentencing on Jan. 31.
She said the family is happy with the plea because Ida can now begin healing from the attack.
Ida has since filed for divorce from Maynard. Lucarelli said the family is considering a civil suit against him.
