Mattapan Man Sentenced for Taunton Strangulation and Assault

TAUNTON (WBSM) — A Mattapan man has been sentenced to state prison for assaulting the mother of his child in Taunton last year.

According to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, Scott Fortes, 36, pled guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with strangulation and domestic assault and battery offenses.

On December 31, 2022, Fortes and the victim attended a family New Year's Eve celebration in Easton. Early on the morning of January 1, 2023, the couple left the gathering and were driving back to the victim's home in Taunton when an argument started.

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Fortes physically assaulted the victim once they arrived home by punching her in the face.

The assault continued as Fortes violently attacked and punched the victim repeatedly. Police said the attack spanned four rooms in the home and lasted several minutes.

The victim suffered a fractured jawbone. Fortes also strangled the victim until she was unable to breathe.

Fortes kept the victim in her home for two days, "draining" her wounds until he finally left her at Massachusetts General Hospital, the D.A.'s Office said.

On Monday, Fortes was sentenced to four to six years in state prison, followed by three years of supervised probation.

Fortes has had seven past restraining orders filed against him in Massachusetts, according to the D.A.'s Office.

"This is a brutal case of domestic violence that resulted in broken bones to the victim's face. The defendant repeatedly beat and strangled the victim over a prolonged period of time," District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn said. "The defendant's violent conduct requires a lengthy sentence to hold him accountable, and to protect the victim and the public from him."