AUGUSTA — An Augusta man who strangled a woman and held a knife to her throat was sentenced Monday to two years in prison on several charges.
Damion E. Sidelinger-Hanson
Damion E. Sidelinger-Hanson, 30, pleaded guilty to charges of domestic violence aggravated assault, domestic violence criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, criminal restraint, domestic violence assault, improper victim contact prebail, and violating conditions of release, in a plea deal at the Capital Judicial Center.
He was sentenced to six years in prison with all but two years suspended, and four years probation, meaning he’ll serve two years in prison, but could serve up to the full six-year term if he violates conditions of his probation.
Sidelinger-Hanson was arrested Nov. 17, 2023, after a woman told police he choked her and held a knife to her throat after the pair had argued at an apartment on Northern Avenue in Augusta, according to an affidavit filed in court by Colin Kinney, an Augusta police patrol officer. She told police she saw “stars” and “things were going dark” while Sidelinger-Hanson had his hands around her throat and was squeezing. Another officer at the scene said there were red marks in the shape of hands on the front, side and back of the woman’s neck that appeared to be “fresh.”
Police said they found a knife in Sidelinger-Hanson’s pocket.
The woman also said Sidelinger-Hanson wouldn’t let her out of the bathroom of the apartment.
A separate domestic violence assault charge against Sidelinger-Hanson stems from an assault on another woman, on or between Dec. 21, 2021, and Jan. 10, 2023 in Augusta, according to an indictment.
The victim of that assault was in court for Sidelinger-Hanson’s sentencing but declined to speak in court.
Assistant District Attorney Jake Demosthenes, prosecuting the case, told Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy the victim doesn’t believe the sentence for Sidelinger-Hanson was enough of a consequence.
The improper victim contact and violating conditions of release charges are for Sidelinger-Hanson contacting one of the victims from jail. According to court records he tried to tell the victim to not testify against him in court.
A tampering with a victim charge against Sidelinger-Hanson was dismissed by the state.
The most serious charge against Sidelinger-Hanson, the Class B domestic violence aggravated assault, carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Probation conditions include not having contact with the victims; not using or possessing dangerous weapons, alcohol or illegal drugs; and that he take part in substance abuse counseling.
In 2018, Sidelinger-Hanson pleaded guilty in federal court in Bangor to conspiracy to make false statements to a federal firearms dealer and was sentenced to eight months imprisonment. Court documents said he was a “straw man” who attempted to purchase a firearm for a co-conspirator in Winthrop in 2017.
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