Trooper Seeks Bench Trial In Royalston Birthday Melee

Trooper Seeks Bench Trial In Royalston Birthday Melee Prefers to have case heard by judge over jury

+ click to enlarge TGN file photo Corey Benoit Damien Fisher News Staff Writer FITCHBURG — The Massachusetts state trooper charged with assaulting his girlfriend, leading to a drunken brawl at his birthday party, is seeking to have his case decided by a judge instead of a jury. Corey Benoit, 36, of Royalston, was scheduled for a jury trial in January on one charge of domestic assault and battery in Fitchburg District Court. He is seeking to have that changed to a bench trial, meaning a judge would hear evidence and make a ruling in the case. His motion hearing seeking a change to a bench trial is set for Friday. Mr. Benoit, a trooper stationed in Athol, is currently suspended from his job with the state police. He has not been on duty since his Aug. 3 arrest at his home. The arrest was the result of an alleged assault that turned into a melee that saw Mr. Benoit fight with two off-duty troopers who were guests at the party, and Mr. Benoit’s alleged victim, Nicole Poirier, 30, fighting with other guests, according to police. Ms. Poirier, of Leominster, and her mother, Roberta F. Sapier, 54, of Weare, New Hampshire, have both been charged with assault and battery for their alleged roles in the fight. The problems started several hours into the birthday party when Mr. Benoit allegedly assaulted Ms. Poirier in what had been described by witnesses as an argument over the volume of the stereo. Ms. Poirier and her mother are charged with assaulting Christopher Benoit’s girlfriend. Christopher Benoit is the twin bother of Corey Benoit. Ac­cording to the victim’s statement, Ms. Poirier started the fight with Corey Benoit by assaulting one of his children. “The altercation was believed to have started because Ms. Nicole Poirier hit the male juvenile with a closed fist,” wrote Mass­achusetts State Trooper Michael Fitzgerald in his report. Ms. Poirier allegedly bit Corey Benoit on the lips, drawing blood, and he pushed her into a wall during an argument, according to witnesses. As two off-duty state troopers who were guests at the party intervened and began a 45-minute physical altercation with Corey Benoit in order to get him under control, Ms. Poirier allegedly engaged in a fight with her alleged victim, according to police. The woman allegedly as­saulted by Ms. Poirier told Mr. Fitzgerald that she got the two children out of the house once the fighting started and started to put them into their car seats, according to the report. As she was buckling the children into their car seats, the woman told Mr. Fitzgerald, she was attacked from behind by Ms. Poirier. Ms. Poirier and Ms. Sapier allegedly attacked the woman, with Ms. Sapier pulling her hair and Ms. Poirier punching her in the face, according to the report. When the woman fought back by punching Ms. Poirier, Ms. Poirier responded by gouging the woman’s eyes, according to the report. Mr. Fitzgerald noted that the woman had scratches on her face around her eyes when she made the report the day after the alleged incident. During the ensuing struggle, the woman told Mr. Fitzgerald that Ms. Sapier slammed her head into the ground, and that Ms. Poirier bit her leg, drawing blood, according to the report. The fight continued until Christopher Benoit and the woman’s father helped get her free so that she could leave, according to the report. Corey Benoit was eventually brought under control by the two off-duty troopers and placed under arrest. Ms. Poirier and her mother are awaiting trial as their case is pending in the Winchendon District Court in Gardner.