A Derby man faces up to seven years in prison for a drunken home invasion in which he terrorized two Derby teens.
David Messer, 31, pleaded guilty Tuesday at Superior Court in Milford to first-degree burglary and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.
Police said Messer broke into a Hawkins Street home on Dec. 7, 2010 and punched a 15-year-old boy in the face. He then sat down next to the boy’s 13-year-old sister, and put his arm around her until police arrived at the home and arrested him.
Messer pleaded guilty for the incident under an agreement in which some of the charges he faced were dropped. Messer was originally also charged with third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, criminal mischief and first-degree criminal trespass.
He also faces charges out of Ansonia for breach of peace, and a violation of probation charge after being arrested while on probation for a previous conviction.
Under the agreement, Messer faces a 14-year sentence, suspended after he spends seven years in jail. Without the agreement, he faced up to 42 years in prison for the charges.
Messer will be sentenced on August 16. The two teens are expected to attend the sentencing, Judge Richard Arnold said Tuesday.
The Home Invasion
Messer was allegedly drunk the night of Dec. 7. Police who arrested him said he smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech.
“I have no recollection” of the night, Messer told Judge Arnold Tuesday.
According to a police report, Messer started banging on the door of the home at about 7:30 p.m. He told police he was looking for someone named John.
But instead, two teen siblings were home alone.
The teens didn’t open the door, so Messer allegedly kicked it open.
The 15-year-old boy confronted Messer, asking who he was.
“You don’t need to know who I am,” Messer allegedly said, before punching the boy in the face.
The girl called her father, who called police, prosecutor Melanie Cradle said.
Messer was sitting next to the girl with his arm around her when police arrived at the scene.
