Published: October 08, 2009 07:09 pm      

COURTS: Suspect in violent attacks freed

City judge releases defendant in felony assault without bail

A Falls landlord and handyman, accused in two violent assaults, one reaching back more than two years, was freed from police custody after being arraigned in City Court this week.

City Court Judge Angelo Morinello released Graham Buckland on his own recognizance after he pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree assault. He is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 26 for a preliminary hearing on the charge.

Buckland, 67, 562 23rd St., is also expected to be charged with second-degree harassment in connection with an incident Monday afternoon that led to his arrest on the outstanding assault warrant. A tenant at one of his apartments in the 2200 block of Woodlawn Avenue called the cops when Buckland tried to force his way into her apartment.

The 19-year-old victim told officers Buckland knocked on her door and said he wanted to “show her apartment.” The woman told Buckland that she was unable to let him in at that moment because she was bathing her children.

According to the police report of the incident, “(The victim) said Buckland became irate and began pounding on the door, yelling for her to let him in.”

The victim told police she then took her child out of the tub, came to the door and partially opened it to explain again to Buckland why he couldn’t come in.

“Buckland shoved the door open,” according to the police report, “banged into (the victim). The victim said that she had been holding her child at the moment and the child slipped out of her hands because she was still wet from the bath.”

The young woman told police Buckland continued to push the door into her, until she was finally able to push back and close it and call for help.

(Buckland) continued to bang on the door and yell, police said until they arrived and took him into custody.

After arresting Buckland, officers discovered he had an outstanding felony arrest warrant for another incident in March 2007 involving a different tenant in an apartment in the 200 block of Woodlawn Avenue.

In that case, Buckland is accused of hitting the tenant in the stomach with a hammer as he tried to move out of the apartment after being evicted.

“I stopped paying (Buckland) rent due to problems with the apartment,” the victim told police. “He was mad at me because I called building inspectors on him due to the fact the dwelling’s wiring was messed up.”

The victim said as he went to walk by Buckland to retrieve his last few boxes of belongings and the landlord said, “You’ve been evicted, get out of here.”

Then, according to the victim, “He hit me right in the gut with a hammer.” The victim said he was treated for his injury at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.