Don McLean Facing Additional Charges in Domestic Violence Case
Don McLean is facing more charges stemming from his January arrest for alleged domestic violence.
The 70-year-old singer-songwriter was arrested at his home in Camden, Maine on Jan. 18, after police in Knox County responded to a call at around 2AM. McLean spent several hours in the Knox Country Jail before posting a $10,000 bond to secure his release.
According to People, he is now facing multiple additional charges, including threatening, terrorizing, criminal restraint, obstruction and criminal mischief. He has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges against him, and is set for a court date in early April.
People reports that his wife received an order of protection against the "American Pie" singer in January, claiming that he has abused her throughout much of their marriage. In court papers, she alleges he once "pressed the palms of his hands against my temples and squeezed as though my head were in a vice." She also states that McLean has a "violent temper" and has even threatened to kill her.
Despite the troubles in their marriage, Patrisha released a statement that said, "Don is not a monster. This is a very sad time for me and for him…We had many happy times [and] years together." According to a report on McLean's website, she withdrew her order of protection, and the couple are moving forward with no plans to divorce.
McLean responded to the furor surrounding his arrest in a series of tweets, saying, "I am not a villain."
“This last year and especially now have been hard emotional times for my wife, my children and me ... What is occurring is the very painful breakdown of an almost 30 year relationship."
He added, "I ask God to give us the strength to find new happiness and I hope people will realize that this will all be resolved but I hope I will not be judged in this frantic media environment.”
The singer is best know for "American Pie," but has also scored some country hits over the years, most notably with his Chain Lightning album in 1978. That project included a cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” that reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Country chart, as well as a cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” and Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart.”
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