New Bedford man with 13-page record sentenced to jail after assaulting girlfriend, malicious destruction of popular tavern

A 34-year-old New Bedford man who broke the glass door to a popular New Bedford tavern and then assaulted his girlfriend during a drunken rage earlier this year was convicted after a New Bedford District Court trial recently, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

A jury of six convicted Dana Santos of Assault and Battery, and Malicious Destruction of Property. After the conviction. Judge Joseph Harrington sentenced Santos to two-and-a-half years in the county jail, with 18 months to serve. The balance of the sentence was suspended for three years, and Santos was also placed on probation for three additional years.

Santos has a 13-page criminal record and has served time in jail and prison for violating restraining orders, trafficking cocaine and illegally possessing a firearm.  

On June 16^th, Santos and the victim were at the Pour Farm Tavern in New Bedford. While there, Santos was cut off by a bartender, at which point he began to get irate and told the owner and bartender that he was going to shoot them. Santos was then escorted out by the bartender and other patrons. He continued to say he was going to shoot them. The owner told Santos he could not come back in and locked the door. Santos then punched the front door breaking the glass. While outside, the girlfriend/female victim had attempted to calm Santos, at which point he struck her in the head and pushed her head into the broken glass door, causing a large laceration to the back of her head. 

Despite the victim’s refusal to testify at trial, Assistant District Attorney Victoria Bendza was able to go forward by calling the owner of the tavern and police witnesses to testify. She also utilized photos of the broken door and the victim’s injuries during the trial.

“The defendant was drunk and totally out of control and committed serious acts of violence. He has lengthy criminal history and clearly continues to be a danger to the community. Fortunately, we were still able to convict the defendant despite the victim’s failure to cooperate,” District Attorney Quinn said.