NOT A PRETTY PAINTING: Owner of “The Barnstable Painter” accepts plea deal, avoids trial on charges of malicious destruction of another painter’s signs… [VIDEO]
BARNSTABLE — The owner of “The Barnstable Painter” and “Perfectly Clear Window Cleaning” negotiated a plea agreement which includes community service, among other stipulations, yesterday on charges he was twice witnessed maliciously running over and destroying another painter’s advertising signs.
John Bommhardt, a 63-year-old entrepreneur from Osterville, is said to have taken things too far after witnesses reported he was running over signs that belonged to Fabio De Oliveira of Eagle Painting.
According to a police report, on 7/19/16, Fabio De Oliveira contacted the Barnstable Police Department after receiving a phone call from a witness, who had observed Bommhardt’s truck drive off the roadway and destroy one of his Eagle Painting signs.
A Barnstable Police Lieutenant spoke with the witness and confirmed his account, that on 7/19/16 at 9:30AM, he observed Bommhardt’s truck swerve off Main Street in Osterville, running over an Eagle Painting sign before re-entering the travel lane in the area of Swift Ave.
Police investigated and took photos of the damaged sign.
The police report states De Oliveira also mentioned he had been harassed by Bommhardt in the past, and officers noted they were familiar with this ongoing harassment, which included obscene gestures (raised middle finger) and blaring his horn for extended periods while driving by the Eagle Painting office.
Lieutenant Clark called the suspect, John Bommhardt, and learned he was the only person who ever drives the pickup truck in question.
When confronted with the allegations, Bommhardt is said to have made “comments about the ‘Brazilians,’” asking “why the police were taking this complaint so seriously.”
In a separate earlier police report on 6/25/16, Barnstable Police Patrolman Joseph L. Cairns took a report from another separate witness who is said to have positively identified Bommhardt deliberately running over an Eagle Painting sign in the area of Our Lady of Victory Church in Centerville.
All official reports indicate that De Oliveira, owner of Eagle Painting, simply wished for the ongoing harassment to stop… and according to all official reports, the harassment did not stop.
The harassment has been ongoing for a long time. According to Patrolman Cairns’ report, De Oliveira sent a letter to Bommhardt several years ago asking him to stop…
… that letter was returned with an envelope full of toilet paper.
Yesterday, when finally confronted in court with all the reports, witness statements, and allegations, Bommhardt avoided a trial on Malicious Destruction charges by accepting the Commonwealth’s plea deal.
The first count of Malicious Destruction was Continued without a Finding for a period of six months. Bommhardt was ordered to do 16 hours of Community Service. He was also ordered to stay away and to have no contact with Fabio De Oliveira and the Eagle Painting office.
Bommhardt will also be “supervised administratively” by the court at a cost of $50 per month. He was also ordered to pay a one-time Victim/Witness fee.
The second count of Malicious Destruction was dismissed as part of the plea deal.
The plea deal was reached after consulting with the victim in this case.
The following video documents the defendant’s reaction and the court’s handling of yesterday’s very bizarre case…
(NOTE: The video volume is low because the court was having problems with its audio system. The YouTube player volume may need to be set higher. Also note, the court’s audio was fixed and improved upon later in the day…)
HN NOTE: My goodness... really?
9/22/2016
Robert Bastille
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© 2016 Robert Bastille, HyannisNews.com
