Defense Attorney Studying

Police Reports In Murder Case

By Andrew Gorosko

WATERBURY — The defense attorney for a Newtown man who is charged with murder in connection with a brutal beating death last November in Waterbury, said this week that he will be studying police reports to aid him in defending his client.

Attorney John R. Gulash, Jr, spoke following an April 29 appearance at Waterbury Superior Court, where he is defending Nicholas Clark, 32, in the murder case.

Prosecutors have charged Mr Clark with murder in connection with his alleged brutal beating last November of his estranged wife and her new boyfriend, which later resulted in the boyfriend’s death.

Mr Clark has pleaded “not guilty” to the five charges pending against him in connection with his alleged November 17 pipe-wielding attack against his estranged wife Christa, 29, and her boyfriend Erich Tabert, 26. Mr Tabert died on November 19 of injuries resulting from blunt force head trauma, a medical examiner determined.

Mr Clark has pleaded “not guilty” to murder, murder during the commission of a felony, first degree assault resulting in serious physical injury, first-degree burglary with a deadly weapon, and violation of a protective order. Mr Clark has elected to have a jury trial on the charges.

A shackled and handcuffed Mr Clark wore a bright yellow prison jumpsuit during a brief appearance in Courtroom 2-B on April 29.

Assistant State’s Attorney Amy Sedensky told Judge Roland Fasano that she had turned over to Mr Gulash all police reports that had been filed on the police investigation into Mr Tabert’s death.

Other evidence to be considered in the case includes the medical records of the victims of the crimes. Also, the state has seized for evidence a Volkswagen that was driven by Mr Clark.

Following the court appearance, Mr Gulash declined to comment on the substance of the prosecution’s charges against Mr Clark.

Mr Gulash declined to say whether Mr Clark would seek a plea agreement to resolve the charges pending against him.

Waterbury police have said that at about 4:30 am on Saturday, November 17, as Mr Tabert and Christa Clark slept, Mr Clark burglarized his former Waterbury house at 49 Knoll Street in the East End. Mr Clark then allegedly beat the couple with a metal pipe and fled the scene, according to police.

The Clarks were in the process of getting a divorce. Mr Clark had formerly lived at the Waterbury address where the attack occurred before moving to Newtown while his divorce was underway.

After the assaults, Waterbury police contacted Newtown police informing them of the incident. Newtown police then went to the Newtown location where the Clarks’ children were staying in order to protect them in the event that Mr Clark should go there.

By arrangement with Mr Clark, Waterbury police arrested him on November 17 in Newtown at the commuter parking lot on Wasserman Way, near Exit 11 of Interstate 84.

Mr Clark is next scheduled to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on May 22. He currently is being held on $2,525,000 bail at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield.

Mr Clark was scheduled to appear in Danbury Superior Court on May 1, where he is facing one count of attempted second-degree assault and two counts of third-degree assault. Those charges stem from an incident that occurred at a Danbury nightclub in the hours before Mr Clark allegedly attacked his wife and Mr Tabert in Waterbury.