Man convicted of using guitar as deadly weapon

A Hatfield Township man who struck his roommate in the head with a guitar during an argument has been convicted by a judge of a charge of assaulting someone with a deadly weapon.

SK Zahidur Rahman, 39, of the 400 block of Carpenter Lane, was convicted in Montgomery County Court of charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment in connection with the 8:45 p.m. April 30, 2017, incident at the Carpenter Lane residence.

Judge Todd D. Eisenberg rendered the verdict after hearing testimony during a nonjury trial. Eisenberg deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigative report about Rahman.

Rahman, who remains free on bail pending sentencing, faces a possible maximum sen-

tence of seven to 14 years in prison on the charges. However, state sentencing guidelines could allow for a lesser sentence.

As a condition of bail, the judge warned Rahman to have no contact with the victim.

An investigation began

when Hatfield Township police were dispatched to a local hospital to talk to the victim who was being treated in the emergency room for a “significant laceration” to the right rear portion of his head, according to a criminal complaint. At that time, the male victim told police he sustained the injury during a physical altercation with his roommate, Rahman, earlier that evening.

The victim said that while he was listening to music in the residence Rahman returned home and they began to argue about the noise. Rahman, according to the victim, picked up an acoustic guitar by the bridge, or neck, and chased the victim from the room, court documents indicate. As the victim tried to exit the room, Rahman allegedly grabbed him by the neck, police said.

“Rahman then took a two-handed swing with the guitar, striking (the victim) with the edge of the guitar in the right rear side of the head,” Hatfield Township Police Officer Kenneth E. Peck alleged in the arrest affidavit.

The victim reported that he fell to the ground and briefly lost consciousness. When he regained consciousness, the victim called out to his live-in landlord for help, court papers indicate. The victim was transported to a local hospital by car as Rahman allegedly tried to convince him to tell medical staff that his head injury was the result of a slip and fall, according to the criminal complaint.

The victim received 10 staples to close the near 8-inch laceration to his head, police said.

Police recovered the acoustic guitar at the Carpenter Lane residence.

“The guitar had damage and human hair embedded in the rear edge of the body. This was consistent with what was reported by (the victim) along with fresh blood present on the bridge of the guitar and inside the room where the altercation occurred,” Peck alleged in court papers.

The victim told police that he lived with Rahman for about four months and that there had been several times that Rahman had threatened to harm him.

“(The victim) stated that he no longer feels safe in his home with Rahman living there,” Peck said.

“Rahman then took a two-handed swing with the guitar, striking (the victim) with the edge of the guitar in the right rear side of the head.” — Hatfield Township Police Officer Kenneth Peck “The guitar had damage and human hair embedded in the rear edge of the body.” — Hatfield Township Police Officer Kenneth Peck