BOSTON, June 8, 2012—A Dorchester man will serve five years behind bars for slashing a romantic partner with a box cutter last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Dorchester District Court jury yesterday convicted TILFOR HAMILTON (D.O.B. 12/31/78) of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and other offenses for the Nov. 18, 2011, incident at his Quincy Street home. District Court Judge Robert Baylor imposed the sentence recommended by Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Sherwood – two consecutive terms of two and a half years.

“We felt the facts of this case warranted a harsh sentence, and we’re glad the judge agreed,” Conley said, noting that the defendant had no prior record. “Domestic violence is a crime that strikes across every demographic, and we take it extremely seriously.”

During the two-day trial, Sherwood proved that Hamilton and the victim, then 38, had been in a romantic relationship. On the evening of the incident, the evidence showed, Hamilton accused her of infidelity and a verbal argument became physical. Sherwood proved that Hamilton used a box cutter to slash at the victim, causing an injury to her neck that, while serious, was not life-threatening.

Conley urged victims of any crime, including domestic violence, to call 911 in an emergency. SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24 hours a day in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601. It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.