CONCORD, NH — A man from Penacook with previous violent accusations and guilty pleas on lesser charges during the past two and half years is in more trouble after being accused of strangling and assaulting a woman on Sunday evening.
Hunter Colby Drew, 23, of Village Street in Penacook, was arrested at 6:31 p.m. on Sept. 1 on three felony counts of second-degree assault-strangulation, three felony counts of second-degree assault-domestic violence-strangulation, two simple assault, and two domestic violence-simple assault charges.
About an hour before his arrest, officers were sent to an apartment on Village Street for a report of a domestic. An anonymous caller to 911 accused Drew of trying to beat a woman to death and would if police did not show up. The first two arriving officers were standing with the suspect. The reporting officer said they were familiar with him due to “prior police contacts” and “several” trips to the apartment for domestic disturbances. The reporting officer accused Drew of smelling like alcohol, adding his sweatpants were soaked with alcohol, too.
“Hunter had slow and slurred speech, and. His eyes were bloodshot and glossy,” the officer wrote. “Hunter was also profusely sweating while sitting on the staircase.”
Drew was questioned and admitted to arguing with a woman, a report said.
Officers went to speak with a woman in the apartment, and she denied anything happened, adding she had just returned home. The reporting officer also stated the apartment did not appear to have signs of a struggle or fight.
The reporting officer left the building and, while doing so, found a woman who was screaming and crying with two other people. The officer recognized the woman as connected to Drew, an affidavit said. The officer reported the woman had two fat lips “that were busted and purple” as well as a swollen and bruised eyebrow. The woman also had a bleeding, swollen nose and marks on her neck.
Concord fire and recuse teams were requested to assist the woman.
When asked what happened, the woman said, “Hunter beat the f —out of me,” the affidavit stated.
The victim was then taken to Concord Hospital.
The reporting officer spoke to another officer who had interviewed the victim and said she accused Drew of chasing her, jumping on top of her and restraining her to a bed, punching her in the face, choking her until she could not breathe and blacked out, and throwing a cellphone at her, striking her in the eye.
Two other witnesses, a man and a woman, were driving near Chief’s Place when they saw the victim crying, covered in blood, and running from the area. The man said he pulled over to see if she was OK and the victim spoke with the woman. She told the witness Drew “drank a whole bottle of whiskey,” demanded sex, and when she refused, he “became violent,” the affidavit said.
The reporting officer returned to Drew and spoke with him about the incident “and he told me he said he was way too drunk to be talking to us,” the reporting officer wrote in the affidavit. He was then arrested. The officer noted in the report that Drew was shirtless and there were noticeable scratch marks on his back, “possibly defensive marks from (the victim).”
The reporting officer and sergeant went back to the apartment to find another family member but were unable to do so. The reporting officer noted there were fresh blood stains and a bloody towel on the floor as well as an almost empty bottle of Cookie Dough Whiskey.
At police headquarters, Drew was booked, processed, refused bail, and was taken to county.
To speak with an advocate, call the statewide domestic violence hotline at 1-866-644-3574 or the statewide sexual assault hotline at 1-800-277-5570, or to find the crisis center nearest you, visit the New Hampshire Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence website, linked here.
Back in January 2022, Drew was charged with reckless conduct-deadly weapon and four criminal threatening charges, all felonies, after being accused of firing a gun and threatening to shoot others.
About four months later, he was arrested on felony second-degree assault and resisting arrest or detention charges. In September 2022, he pleaded guilty to the resisting charge, but the second-degree assault charge was dropped. Drew received a 12-month sentence, suspended for three years.
In July 2023, as part of a plea deal on the deadly weapon and threat charges, Drew pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless conduct and disorderly conduct charges. He received two 12-month sentences, both served consecutively but suspended for three years. Drew also received credit for 12 days time-served.
Drew was also ordered not to possess or own a firearm as part of the plea deal.
Drew was arrested again in September 2023, a month after his second round of suspended sentences on a second-degree assault charge about six weeks before at Wow Billiards & Bar on North Main Street in Downtown Concord. He eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in mid-April and received another 12-month sentence, suspended for three years. Drew was also fined $1,663.99.
In all three cases, Drew was ordered to undergo counseling, treatment, or educational programs to escape confinement.
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