A former Gardiner teacher and coach was acquitted on two domestic violence charges in Oxford County Superior Court on Wednesday, his attorney said.
Matthew B. Dineen, 45, of Gardiner, was charged with domestic violence assault and domestic violence terrorizing after an August 2013 incident in Hartford, 25 miles north of Lewiston.
Last year, Oxford County Sheriff Wayne Gallant said Dineen initially fled the scene of the incident, but he turned himself in the next day. But on Wednesday, a jury in Oxford County Superior Court in South Paris returned not guilty verdicts on both counts, said Jason Jabar, Dineen’s lawyer.
Dineen has had a well-publicized criminal history: In November 2010, he was convicted on a misdemeanor charge of illegally touching a 16-year-old high school student and violating a protective order by calling his wife.
Earlier that year, Dineen resigned from his teaching post at Gardiner Area High School. He taught at Carrie Ricker School in Litchfield before that.
He was also the boys hockey coach at Gardiner High for several years. The Kennebec Journal named him Hockey Coach of the Year in 2009. He also coached girls varsity soccer there in 2008 and 2009.
Michael Shepherd — 370-7652
Twitter: @mikeshepherdme
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