Plumber alleged to have beaten Lynn granny pleads innocent

SALEM – The Lynn plumber charged with severely beating an 89-year-old great grandmother in front of her Eastern Avenue home in November and also stealing a purse from another woman a week earlier remains held at the Middleton Jail without bail following his arraignment in Salem Superior Court.Nicholas J. Christian, 30, of 7 Hammond St., appeared Monday and pleaded innocent to unarmed robbery of a victim over age 60, assault and battery on a person over age 60 causing bodily injury, unarmed robbery as well as two counts of receiving stolen property over $250 before Judge John T. Lu.His attorney, Cathleen E. Campbell, wanted him shielded from being photographed and asked Lu if her client could remain behind a blackboard because there is a potential issue as to identification in the case, but the judge rejected her request, saying he had to view the accused in person for his arraignment.Christian came out behind the blackboard wearing a two-piece black suit, gray shirt and black shoes as he entered his plea.Assistant District Attorney Kim M. Faitella asked Lu to deem Christian as a danger to the safety of the victims and community.She presented seven photos to the judge of Geneva Sozanski, 89, depicting her swollen black eye, multiple bruises with facial and head injuries she sustained as she was thrown to the sidewalk as her pocketbook was yanked from her arm on Nov. 15.Faitella contends that Christian was on “somewhat of a spree,” pointing out to Lu that he also is accused of stealing a purse from 35-year-old Diana Keith of Lynn on Nov. 7.She went on to explain to Lu that when police arrested Christian a few days later they found track marks on his arms and Sozanski’s wallet and personal identification were found stuffed into a cat food box in the cellar of his home along with belongings of Keith’s.Faitella also said that Christian stated he had an alibi for the Nov. 15 incident and apparently tried to have a co-worker confirm he was working on a job that day, but when police interviewed the witness, he denied he saw him working.But Campbell argued that the government has no witnesses to the Nov. 15 robbery and insists there are conditions of release for her client that would protect the victims and community.Lu explained he had earlier reviewed most of the information provided to him, but still needed a little more time to review the district court hearing and was taking the issue under advisement until he made a decision.In the meantime, Christian remains held without bail at the Middleton Jail and is due back in court on March 3 for a pretrial conference.