DA: Police interrupt Valentine’s Day violence

A surreptitious phone call that prompted the arrival of state police likely prevented a Valentine’s Day massacre in West Nottingham Township, according to Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan.

William A. Brown
William A. Brown

The criminal complaint filed against William A. Brown, 45, of Nottingham, alleges that he kicked in the front door of his wife’s home two days after she obtained a protection-from-abuse (PFA) order and changed the locks on her residence.

The woman had obtained the PFA after being threatened with a knife; her cousin was staying with her to ensure her safety. After Brown forced his way into the residence at 8:30 a.m., he stabbed the victim’s cousin in the chest with a butcher knife and choked the victim until she became disoriented, threatening to stab the cousin again every time the victim spoke, the complaint said.

Police interrupted the attack because the victim managed to distract Brown and dial 9-1-1, leaving the cellphone live during part of the attack, the complaint said.

“This is a classic and terrifying case of domestic abuse, with violence masquerading as love,” said Hogan in a press release.  “The victim here is to be commended for having the courage and composure to call 9-1-1.  She stopped what otherwise would have been a double murder.”

The release said Brown sliced the victim’s cousin in the face with a box cutter, struck him in the head with a wooden statue, and repeatedly stabbed him in the chest. Brown also took his wife into a bedroom, raped her, and threatened to kill her, her cousin and himself.

When Brown heard someone approaching the front door, his wife said it must be their daughter, and Brown agreed to let her in. However, it was troopers from the Avondale barracks, who secured the residence and began administering aid to the victims, who were transported to the hospital, the release said.

The victim’s cousin was operated on and is in serious but stable condition, the release said.

Deputy District Attorney Michelle Frei, the lead domestic violence prosecutor in Chester County, said the assault fits a pattern.

“Unfortunately, we have seen over and over again that the time of greatest danger for a woman is the exact moment when she is separating herself from her partner,” Frei said in the release.  “This may include filing a PFA, filing for divorce, or just throwing him out of the house.  We always tell women to be extremely careful during these high stress points.”

Brown was arraigned on charges that include rape, attempted murder, and related offenses. After failing to post $500,000 cash bail, he was taken to Chester County Prison to await a preliminary hearing on Monday, Feb. 22, court records said.

 

 

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