Man guilty in ex-girlfriend's '04 assault denied early release

Brandon Fecteau (WMUR photo)

ROCHESTER - A man convicted of beating his ex-girlfriend in Rochester and leaving her in the woods more than a decade saw his request for early release denied by a Strafford County Superior Court judge.

Brandon Fecteau was found guilty in 2004 of five counts of first-degree assault and sentenced to 16½ years in prison.

Last week he requested having four years of his sentence suspended, claiming he was young and immature when he attacked the woman in the woods and abandoned her.

Prosecutors countered that the attack was savage and Fecteau should serve every day of his sentence in state prison.

Fecteau apologized to the victim in court, who said later, it came "11 years too late."

Strafford County Superior Court Judge Steven Houran on Tuesday said he wanted to review transcripts prior to making a decision. Later last week he rejected Fecteau's request.