BOSTON, July 27, 2015—A Dorchester man was sentenced to state prison today for beating a woman with a metal chair and then colluding with his girlfriend to scare her out of testifying, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Assistant District Attorney Gregory Henning recommended that KEITA FREEMAN (D.O.B. 8/4/71) serve six to eight years in state prison on his conviction last week for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Henning recommended an additional two and a half years in a house of correction on Freeman’s conviction for witness intimidation, with one year to serve and the balance suspended for a five-year probationary term. Henning further recommended that Freeman stay away from the victim and undergo batterer’s and anger management programs. Judge Garry Inge sentenced Freeman to a term of two to three years followed by two years of probation.

Henning recommended that Williams’ girlfriend, PAMELA FERRIE (D.O.B. 4/12/70), be sentenced to two and a half years in a house of correction for her witness intimidation conviction, with one year to serve and the balance suspended for two years. Henning also recommended that she perform 500 hours of community service. Inge sentenced her to two years in a house of correction, suspending that term for a two-year probationary period.

Assistant District Attorney Gregory Henning proved during three days of trial last week that Freeman approached the victim, who was then 30 years old and three and a half months pregnant, on the front porch of a Williams Street apartment building, where the victim was visiting a friend. In the apparent belief that the victim had entered that building’s basement and disturbed items belonging to Ferrie, Freeman beat her repeatedly with a steel chair.

Testimony at trial suggested that the victim attempted to defend herself with a knife but was disarmed by Freeman. Testimony also suggested that she repeatedly stated she was pregnant during the assault.

Henning further proved that, while held on bail following his arrest, Freeman colluded with Ferrie to threaten the victim in an attempt to prevent her from testifying in court proceedings.

“You think I want to be sitting here because I beat up some [expletive] dopehead?” Freeman exclaimed to Ferrie during calls from jail.

Working at Freeman’s direction, the evidence showed, Ferrie told the victim that she and her baby would be “done” if she continued to cooperate with police and prosecutors. Knowing that she wrestled with addiction, Freeman and Ferrie later developed a plan to buy her silence with drugs.

Michael Coffey was the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Freeman and Ferrie were represented by attorneys John MacLachlan and Arthur Kelly.

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