Background: Crime scene screen grab from New Hampshire ABC affiliate WMUR YouTube. Inset: Adrian Lawrence Demers points a finger and yells at court staff during a court appearance in April in New Hampshire. Image from ABC affiliate WMUR YouTube.
Over a dispute with his brother-in-law involving just $40 and unfinished yardwork, Adrian Demers of New Hampshire could soon face life in prison after he was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly stabbing his relative in the head repeatedly during a violent altercation.
The episode occurred this April in Brentwood, New Hampshire, but a grand jury at the Rockingham County Superior Court only returned the indictment last week. Demers faces multiple charges including attempted second-degree murder, four individual first-degree assault charges, criminal threatening with a deadly weapon and theft by unauthorized taking of a firearm, according to court records. Rockingham County Superior court records indicate Demers’ trial is slated to begin Jan. 3, 2024.
Local ABC affiliate WMUR reported in April that when Demers made his initial appearance in court via video, he was so mouthy with officials as he contested the allegations that he had to be placed on mute. Demers insists that he did not attempt to murder his in-law, but rather that he was acting in self-defense.
The incident was sparked when Demers, who was hired by his brother-in-law for the day, felt he had finished the yardwork and went to collect $200 as promised, according to police documents obtained by WMUR. But when his brother-in-law told Demers he didn’t feel the job was done, he paid him just $160 and told him he would give him the remaining $40 once he was finished, the station reported. This allegedly set Demers into a rage and he pushed his brother-in-law to the ground, kicked him repeatedly in the ribs and head and then, using a pocketknife that fell off the victim during the assault, stabbed him in the head multiple times, police reportedly said.
Demers’ brother-in-law reportedly told police he didn’t realize he had been stabbed at first and thought the sharp pain was because he was being hit with a brick over and over. Once he curled up into a fetal position, he said Demers finally stopped attacking him. The man also told police that he had a gun on his waistband that fell off during the altercation. Demers, he claimed, grabbed it and fled.
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Adrian Demers booking photo Brentwood Police
In July, Demers was ordered to undergo an evaluation for mental competency to see if he could stand trial, according to the Portsmouth Herald. Both prosecutors and public defenders agreed that he was not currently competent to stand trial and the judge handling the matter agreed. Judge Andrew Schulman reportedly issued that order on July 17 but noted Demers could be restored to competency within a year. On the heels of the indictment, it is unclear if Demers has been deemed competent and prosecutors at the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office did not return a request for comment.
Due to his criminal history, when Demers was first arrested in April, he was held without bail. He was represented by public defender Deanna Campbell at the time. Demers appears now to be represented by attorney Howard Clayman though he could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.
For the attempted second-degree murder charge, if convicted, Demers faces a maximum of life in prison. The felony assault charges could mean an additional 7 to 15 years per charge and there were four — one charge for each time Demers allegedly stabbed his brother-in-law in the head. The gun charge poses the same sentencing recommendation.
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