Assault trial begins for suspended state police trooper
Sarah Hellmann told a Westmoreland County jury Tuesday she was hesitant to contact police to report allegations that one of their own had assaulted her during a fight in a Derry Township home.
She said it was only after she was encouraged by her employers that she went to the hospital two days later for injuries she said she suffered.
The alleged altercation occurred two years ago with live-in boyfriend Nicholas Hood, a patrol officer who worked as a state police patrolman in Westmoreland County.
“I knew going to the hospital they would report an assault, and I knew they would call the police. But I didn’t know if I could trust them,” Hellmann testified during the trial of her now former boyfriend. “I thought it could get turned around on me or that nothing would come of it.”
Hellmann testified during the trial of the father of her 3-year-old daughter.
Nicholas Hood, 33, of Derry is on trial on one misdemeanor count of simple assault and a summary harassment offense in connection with an Aug. 26, 2023, incident at a home Hellmann and Hood shared.
Hellmann claims she was grabbed and violently thrown to the ground and left with a cervical sprain and bruises.
One month after the alleged incident, state police cited Hood with a summary offense. That charge was dropped a month later after TribLive learned the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office had recommended Hood be charged with a more serious offense.
State police officials said the unit’s internal affairs division re-evaluated the case and refiled charges that included one count of simple assault.
Two years later, Hood remains suspended without pay.
Jurors heard no testimony about the controversy involving the initial investigation and the refiling of charges against Hood.
Hellmann was one of two prosecution witnesses to testify Tuesday.
She told jurors she and Hood had a troubled relationship that soured after the birth of their daughter. Hellmann said the couple argued frequently, usually about their future, which was a topic that intensified Aug. 25, 2023, and came to a head the next day as they again fought about their relationship and a bee infestation in the basement of their home.
“He said he was going to leave and take our daughter with him to his parent’s house. I wanted to resolve the problem, and we raised our voices,” Hellmann testified. “He, at some he point, grabbed me from behind by my neck and threw me to the ground. I started to yell for help hoping someone was outside, and he got on top of me and covered my mouth to keep me from screaming.”
Photographs of Hellmann’s back and arm taken days after the alleged assault depicted bruises, according to prosecutors.
Hood testified Hellmann was the aggressor. He denied the assault allegations.
He told jurors the fight became physical when she attempted to prevent him from leaving the home with their daughter.
“She shoved me, and I shoved her back. We both shoved each other. We realized we can’t do this in front of our daughter, so I went to take a shower,” Hood testified, telling jurors he later did leave the home with his child but returned later that night.
Deputy Attorney General Julieane Swain questioned Hood about inconsistencies between his testimony and what he told investigators. They included his claim that Hellmann, who is several inches shorter and nearly 100 pounds lighter than Hood, pushed him backward and off balance as he held his child, and later bit his hand.
Hood conceded his relationship with Hellmann was difficult from the start and became worse after he learned she was pregnant. Prosecutors showed jurors text messages in which Hood claimed he was not happy with the pregnancy and felt trapped in a family he did not want.
Defense attorney Brian Aston asked Hood about how he viewed his life after the birth of his daughter.
“The first time I saw (his daughter), she changed my life,” Hood said. “She is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Michael Stewart II told jurors they will hear closing arguments in the case when the trial reconvenes Wednesday morning.
Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.