BANGOR – A Bangor used car dealer pleaded not guilty Friday to charges he threatened and assaulted a competitor who he said was sending him undesirable customers.

Donald Swallow, 60, of Bangor is being charged with terrorizing and assault in connection with the Oct. 13 incident and a trial date has been set for Jan. 7, 2004.

According to police accounts, Swallow indicated that he was upset that the Auto Vision dealer in Glenburn was sending him customers with poor credit histories and that Swallow confronted owner David Andrade at the Glenburn dealership. Swallow got out of his car and began swinging at Andrade, according to authorities, and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Deputy Jared Austin summoned him on a charge of assault.

A short time later, Andrade called police to report that Swallow had threatened to kill him and Andrade told Austin that he feared for his safety and that of his family.