FARMINGTON — A local man is accused of attempting to strangle his father’s girlfriend Monday night at their residence on Weeks Mills Road.

Nicholas Smith Franklin County Detention Center photo

Farmington police arrested Nicholas Smith, 33, of Farmington on charges of aggravated assault and criminal threatening.

Officer Ethan Bronson responded to a call at 6:30 p.m. and found the father on top of his son. The father told Bronson that Nicholas tried to strangle his girlfriend so he tackled him, according to Bronson’s affidavit filed at Farmington District Court.

The girlfriend told police she and Nicholas got into a verbal argument about chores, he got angry and threatened to kill her saying, “‘You deserve to die.’ I am gonna to kill you,'” according to the the affidavit.

She said he put his hands around her throat, according to the Bronson’s statement.

Nicholas admitted to choking her, according to the court document.

Sgt. Ethan Boyd asked her about the attempted strangulation and she described being unable to breathe and was having trouble swallowing medication and her throat being sore and painful.

The officer photographed red marks on the right side of her throat.

Smith was held without bail at the Franklin County Detention Center until Wednesday when a judge set bail at $500.

A conviction for aggravated assault is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. A conviction for criminal threatening is punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.