City pair indicted in brutal beating of Newmarket man

From left,Brett Tibbetts, Chris Greenwood, (Rochester Police photo)

DOVER - Two Rochester men have been indicted in the brutal beating of a 37-year-old Newmarket man in January.

Chris Greenwood and Brett Tibbetts, both 20 and of 48 Lafayette St., were charged with riot in the Jan. 8 incident said to have occurred outside the residence where they lived.

While originally arrested on riot charges, last month's indictments formally charged them both with second degree assault, in that they, "acting in concert with (each other) and another ... recklessly caused serious bodily injury by punching and kicking (the victim) in the face causing a subarachnoid hemorrhage."

According to police affidavits, the victim, who had come to the residence to return items to his ex-girlfriend, was jumped by three men and repeatedly kicked while on the ground.

The affidavit, filed Jan. 15 in Strafford County Superior Court, stated that the night of the attack, a woman who lives at 48 Lafayette St. called police after finding the victim unconscious in her driveway and took him inside.

The woman told police she had seen two individuals running down Moores Court toward Lafayette Street and that the victim had come to the house to drop off property for a female whom he recently broke up with.

Officers also spoke at the scene with Greenwood and Tibbetts, who also said they'd seen two males running from the scene, the affidavit states. All parties provided vague descriptions of one of the males who wore a dark-colored winter jacket.

The next day the victim was out of the hospital and came to the Rochester Police Department to let Police know more details of the attack. According to the affidavit, he said that two individuals he knew as Brett and Chris helped bring in the items.

But then as he was near the rear of his vehicle and getting ready to leave, he said the two he knew - Greenwood and Tibbetts - and a third unknown male surrounded him and confronted him about an issue between him and his former girlfriend.

When he tried to walk away to get in his vehicle, he said either Greenwood or the unknown male punched him knocking his glasses off, the affidavit states. Then as he fell to his knees to find his glasses, "all the individuals began assaulting him on the ground until he "blacked out." The victim said he believed the three were kicking him repeatedly while on the ground.

Meanwhile, when the victim was released from the hospital on Jan. 9 he checked his property and said he could not locate his bank debit card, according to the affidavit, later finding a charge had been made at Liu's Garden in Rochester after the assault on Jan. 8 for $26.10.

Police located the transaction at the restaurant and saw it was for a delivery to 29 Lafayette St. then spoke with the delivery driver, who said he actually delivered it to a man in front of 29 Lafayette St., whom he knew to be Stephen Reagan Jr. It was also learned that the phone number used to order the food belonged to Reagan as well, and that Reagan signed the receipt.

Finally on Jan. 11, the victim located Facebook photos of Greenwood and Tibbetts, which were later confirmed.

The two were arrested on Jan. 15.

It has never been indicated that Reagan was ever found and arrested or among the attackers.

Meanwhile, Tibbetts and Greenwood face maximum prison terms of seven years if convicted. Both are currently out on bail.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt, only that enough evidence has been gathered to warrant a trial.