Colella gets 7 to 10 year prison term; father may be prosecuted for witness tampering

SALEM – Blake Colella, the 25-year-old Swampscott native convicted last week of stabbing a man outside the 7-Eleven on Essex Street in Lynn last year, received up to 10 years in prison, but now his father may be prosecuted for contempt and possibly obstruction of justice.In handing down Colella’s sentence in Salem Superior Court Judge David A. Lowy recommended the District Attorney’s office look into prosecuting Colella’s father, Angelo, for contempt and possible witness tampering in connection with his son’s most recent trial.Lowy believed Colella had “attempted to manipulate witnesses” in his case and “usurp our system of justice.”The commonwealth immediately ordered a transcript of the trial, which is completed and being reviewed to see if Angelo Colella or any other witnesses in the stabbing case should be charged.Angelo Colella was summonsed to appear at his son’s trial. He showed up the first day, but failed to show up after that and Lowy issued a warrant for his arrest.Then after nearly a week he showed up with his attorney and invoked his Fifth Amendment right refusing to testify.As the jury trial unfolded, victim Richard Dalton, 21, his brother Joseph, 18, and their cousin, Starann Butler, 19, all of Lynn, could not recall what happened that late night in May.Also present during the stabbing incident was Colella’s 17-year-old nephew, Nicholas, whose recollection was also vague during his testimony.The commonwealth based their case on the store’s surveillance tape along with police reports and the testimony of three female witnesses who testified during the trial that Colella had told them he stabbed Dalton and demonstrated how he did it.Assistant District Attorney Michael P. Hickey, in recommending the 7-to-10-year punishment for Colella, told Lowy from the start of the case Colella and his father had interfered with the prosecution.Hickey also pointed out that Colella never showed remorse for his actions nor inquired as to how the victim was doing.”We are gratified with the jury’s verdict and believe that a dangerous person will be off the streets for the period sentenced by the judge,” Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said.Defense lawyer Ronald J. Ranta believed the commonwealth’s recommendation was excessive, as he asked the judge to consider 2-to-3-years in prison while reminding Lowy that it falls within the guidelines for a conviction of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.He pointed out to Lowy that Richard Dalton’s position from the moment he went to the hospital after being stabbed was that he did not know what happened.Ranta further explained that Dalton’s failure of memory was not brought about by any actions of his client.Ranta has filed an appeal in the case.Colella, who at the time of the stabbing was living at 164 Essex St., in Lynn, grew up in Swampscott and lived at 72 Banks Road with his father, received 7-to-10 years in state prison.He will have to serve at least seven years in prison before he is eligible for parole.Colella has a nine-page record of arrests, but only two convictions for misdemeanor assaults and was cleared in three sexual assault cases.He still has another pending case in Superior Court involving the physical abuse of his live-in girlfriend at his then Lynnway apartment on or before June 13 and on or before June 21, which he denies.She had lived with him at that 69 Lynnway apartment for about three months before he allegedly began abusing her.He also faces a heroin case in Lynn and witness intimidation involving separate incidents.Lowy delayed transferring Colella to state prison until Dec. 28 so he can appear in Superior Court that day in connection with his three pending cases.