Court docs: Attorney severely beaten by suspect in Pelham church shooting

MANCHESTER, N.H. — A New Hampshire attorney is in intensive care with serious injuries after he was savagely beaten by his client at the Hillsborough County jail, according to an affidavit filed in court Tuesday.

The attorney was left alone in an interview room for nearly 20 minutes as he was assaulted, a witness told police.

Dale Holloway, who is charged with first-degree assault and attempted murder after the Oct. 12 shooting at New England Pentecostal Ministries in Pelham, is now accused of beating his assigned public defender inside the Hillsborough County House of Corrections Monday morning.

Michael Davidow, a New Hampshire public advocate, told paramedics he couldn't remember going to work Monday morning as he was rushed to the hospital from the jail.

Davidow later told detectives he put his phone and car keys into a locker at the jail and went into a room to meet with his client, Dale Holloway, according to court documents.

According to the report, Davidow's nurse told detectives he had a broken nose, a black eye, a cut lip, bruises on his head and brain hemorrhaging.

In court Tuesday, Holloway denied the allegations.

"I was just explaining how I did not strike this guy," he said.

Mark Phillips, a corrections officer who was at the jail, told police he was facing away from the interview room when Davidow was meeting with Holloway. He said he was focused on the cell block area and waiting for Davidow to signal the interview was over by turning the lights on and off or tapping on the glass.

Phillips said Davidow was in the room for about 20 minutes until he said he heard a knock on the glass and saw Holloway walking from it.

According to Phillips, he found Davidow sitting at the table, covered in blood. Davidow said his next memory was waking up in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Holloway claimed in court that he called the guard for help when he saw Davidow had a bloody nose.

"I ran to help so I don't see how I went wrong here," Holloway said.

According to the affidavit, Davidow told detectives he had met with Holloway previously and the meeting "did not go well." He also said Holloway did not want him as his lawyer.

The affidavit states inmates are not typically handcuffed to the table in the interview room unless they show signs of being dangerous. The interview room is also not monitored or recorded for privacy.

Holloway has now been charged with first-degree assault.

He was previously charged with attempted murder of the church bishop, second-degree assault, simple assault, and having possession and control of a firearm as a convicted felon.

Those charges stemmed from the attack during a wedding at a Pelham church.

The public defender's office has withdrawn from the case, and it is not clear whether Holloway has a new lawyer for either the new jailhouse assault charge or the charges stemming from the church shooting.

Boston 25 News legal analyst Peter Elikann said that Holloway will struggle to find a new team of lawyers.

"They usually will find someone who will represent someone, unless he is going to attack every lawyer and doesn't like every lawyer and wants to be his own lawyer," Elikann said.

"An attorney is supposed to be your champion and if you attack your attorney I almost wonder if he's going to be pushing for some sort of insanity defense."

If he does find a new attorney, Holloway will have to remain handcuffed during all future meetings.

[Suspect arrested, charged after 3 people injured in shooting at NH church wedding]

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group