Queens, NY — Herman Brightman, a 30-year-old resident of Central Islip, Long Island, was arraigned today on multiple charges related to the kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment of his girlfriend, announced Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Brightman is accused of threatening to kill the victim with a knife, binding her wrists, and taping her mouth shut.
“The defendant terrorized his girlfriend in her own home. Wielding a knife, he threatened to gut her; he threatened to kill her,” said District Attorney Katz. She is urging other women who may have been victimized by Brightman, who has also used the alias Nazir Griffiths, to contact her office’s 24-hour domestic violence hotline at (718) 286-4410.
According to the seven-count indictment, the charges against Brightman include kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the first and second degrees, menacing in the second degree, criminal mischief in the third and fourth degrees, and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Yavinsky ordered Brightman to return to court on November 28.
The charges stem from an incident on August 7, when Brightman allegedly got into an argument with the victim at her home, destroyed her computer monitor, and threatened her with a knife. Assistant District Attorney Marina Shew is prosecuting the case, which remains under investigation.
District Attorney Katz emphasized that the victim was “fortunate to have escaped with her life” and encouraged women needing assistance with safety planning or securing an order of protection to contact the domestic violence hotline.