Father blames alcohol for family's, son's troubles

Nathan Fisher is led from the courtroom after he was sentenced to at least 12 years in prison. (Harrison Thorp photo)

LEBANON - On a quiet street off Depot Road in Lebanon, Thomas Fisher stood next to his pickup truck outside his mobile home talking to another man on Saturday, a day after his son was sentenced to 12 years to life in prison in the attempted murder of a former girlfriend.

Thomas Fisher wasn’t in court on Friday, but he knew about his son’s lengthy prison sentence he has begun serving in a New Hampshire state prison.

“He’s gotta do the time,” he said. “Hopefully he can get out with a monitoring bracelet in a couple of years.”

Nathan Fisher, 41, formerly of Lebanon, pleaded guilty to attempted murder on Friday in Strafford County Superior Court in the throat-slashing of his former girlfriend on a December night in 2012 inside their Rochester apartment.

The victim survived, but needed 22 stitches to close the wound. If the cut had been any deeper she would have died, said hospital staff who treated her that night.

(See related story published April 5.)

Much of the defense’s argument for a lighter sentence, including statements made by Thomas Fisher’s younger son, Ryan Fisher, spoke of abuse by their father in their early years.

Thomas Fisher admitted things had often been sometimes crazy when his kids were growing up, and he attributed it all to his alcohol addiction.

“It all about the drinking,” he said. “That’s where all the problems come from.”

He said Ryan had escaped the scourges of alcohol abuse which is why he’s a success. Nathan, he said, wasn’t as fortunate.

Thomas Fisher said he’d stopped drinking long ago and had found Jesus.

He asked, “Do you believe in Jesus?”

Upon hearing yes, he said, “That’s all that counts.”