Local
Hopkinton lake assault case advances as defendant pleads not guilty
Steven Dana, 70, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges tied to an alleged June attack at Sandy Beach in Hopkinton. A prosecutor said Dana held 21-year-old Matthew Duffy underwater until Duffy’s friends intervened.
A 70-year-old Milford man pleaded not guilty Monday in Middlesex Superior Court to charges stemming from an alleged attempt to drown a 21-year-old man at Sandy Beach in Hopkinton this summer.
Prosecutors say Steven Dana slapped Matthew Duffy twice during a confrontation at Lake Maspenock in June, then pushed him into the water and held him under for about 10 seconds. Duffy’s friends pulled Dana away, according to prosecutor Dan Bolcun, allowing Duffy to surface.
Video of the confrontation appears to show Dana challenging Duffy before striking him. Authorities have said the dispute arose as Duffy’s group used the lake near Dana’s home.
Dana also pleaded not guilty to strangulation and assault and battery. He was released on $75,000 cash bail and is due back in court near the end of the year. The case moved to Superior Court after a grand jury indicted him earlier this month.
Duffy has said he wants Dana to receive the longest sentence possible. Dana and his attorney declined to comment after Monday’s hearing. The charges are allegations, and Dana is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.