Alleged beater’s hand injuries focus of testimony in rape trial

BANGOR – Jurors on Wednesday heard testimony regarding injuries to the hands of an Old Town man accused of beating and raping his girlfriend last spring at her Old Town apartment.

Barry Bard’s former roommate testified Wednesday morning that Bard’s hands often were banged up because the two men worked on cars.

The state has alleged that Bard’s hands were so “swollen that you couldn’t see his knuckles” the day after the alleged beating on April 16.

Bard, 36, is facing seven charges – two counts of gross sexual assault, aggravated assault, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, assault, criminal threatening and violation of condition of release.

The most serious charge carries up to a 20-year prison sentence. Bard has been incarcerated in Penobscot County Jail since his arrest the day after the alleged attack.

Steven Roper roomed with Bard last spring and drove the female victim to the hospital the next morning.

He testified Wednesday of the bruises, swelling and cuts he saw on her face and how she told him that she had been jumped from behind near the Tavern bar in Bangor the night before.

The victim testified Tuesday that Bard told her to tell everyone that she was jumped from behind when she was leaving the Tavern. She told jurors that she did tell people that initially, but that on April 17 decided to go to the police and tell the truth.

The victim claims that she was beaten and kicked for hours and raped at knife point by Bard after the couple returned to her apartment from the Tavern. Another friend, Ashley Coffman of Old Town, testified Wednesday that she and Bard drove to the Tavern at about 1 a.m., April 16 to pick up the victim. Coffman said the victim was intoxicated and was very angry with Bard, because she had wanted to drive her own car home.

She said the victim kept tapping the back of Bard’s head as the threesome drove from Bangor to Old Town. Coffman’s testimony differed from the victim’s testimony Tuesday, in which she claimed she was not overly intoxicated, was not angry with Bard and did not hit him.

Coffman also testified, however, that she did not notice any injuries on the victim when she got into the car, which suggests that she was not jumped from behind at the Tavern that evening.

Also on Wednesday a nurse practitioner at Eastern Maine Medical Center testified that he treated the victim on Sunday, April 16 and said her injuries were more consistent with an attack from the front than from the rear. Old Town police officers testified about the amount of blood that was spattered throughout the victim’s Front Street apartment and on the window of a neighbor’s apartment, where the victim had attempted to get help.

The case may go to jurors for deliberation today.