Man accused of attacking girlfriend ruled dangerous

LYNN – A city man who allegedly asked to carve a design in his girlfriend’s stomach after strangling her to the point she convulsed, was found to be dangerous and held without bail pending trial.”This is now the third incident on record involving a domestic where strangulation is alleged to have occurred,” Essex Assistant District Attorney Erin Bellavia said in Lynn District Court Tuesday. “There are three different serious domestics in the last several years from three different women.”Donald P. Bovio, 34, of 34 Hanover St. #9, pleaded not guilty March 17 to charges of attempted murder; assault and battery; and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.Police reported responding to a Green Street address early March 15 on a report of a woman in her pajamas running out of her apartment.The alleged victim immediately told police Bovio was drunk when he appeared at her apartment a few hours earlier and began banging on the door. Not wanting to upset neighbors with his noise, she told officers she allowed Bovio inside. The couple lay down on the bed and Bovio allegedly refused to let the alleged victim leave the room. Bovio then allegedly began strangling the woman to the point where she began convulsing from a lack of oxygen. Meanwhile, Bovio was allegedly telling the woman he wanted to kill her and that he was “crazy.”The alleged victim also said Bovio made her bring him a knife from the kitchen because he wanted to carve a circle and a star on her stomach.Bellavia noted Tuesday that the alleged victim only was able to escape when Bovio entered a “trance-like state.”Bellavia requested Bovio be held without bail pending trial, noting that Bovio had two prior cases – one in Peabody and one in Salem – where he was alleged to have strangled a girlfriend.”This is escalating, it isn’t going to stop,” Bellavia said. She also expressed concern that the alleged victim was “perhaps trying to rekindle” the relationship by not appearing in court to testify.But public defender Meredith Reeves said the alleged victim and Bovio’s family wanted the defendant to get mental-health treatment.”Even the alleged victim describes the incident as a dramatic departure from his normal behavior,” Reeves said. “My client knows that (he needs treatment), understands that and wants a chance to be able to function in the world … holding him in jail in the meantime won’t do anything but delay that.”She also suggested prosecutors would have difficulty pursuing the case, noting police relied solely on the alleged victim’s statements and did not note any injuries to the alleged victim.Regarding the defendant’s history, Reeves said Bovio has served a single committed sentence of 60 days in jail.Judge Albert Conlon said, however, that Bovio’s record showed the defendant was on probation with a 2?-year sentence hanging over his head. Conlon also noted each of the alleged victims were the same age at the time of the alleged incident. Conlon ordered Bovio held without bail pending trial and scheduled the defendant to return to court April 22.