Somerset County Wife Convicted For Attacking Husband With Cooking Oil, Chemicals

Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano announced that a Somerset County Jury has found Mauvette D. Mattadeen, age 43, formerly of the Somerset section of Franklin Township, guilty of Aggravated Assault, 2nd degree, and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, 3rd degree.  

Defendant Mattadeen was found not guilty of the charge of Attempted Murder, 1st Degree, a second count of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, 3rd Degree, and a charge of Theft, 4th Degree. 

The trial, which commenced with jury selection on May 27, 2014, was conducted before the Honorable Robert B. Reed, J.S.C.

Prosecutor Soriano states that on Friday, April 6th, 2012 at approximately 8:55 p.m., Franklin Township Police received a 9-1-1 call reporting that a resident on Oswestry Way had been attacked by his wife, and that he needed emergency medical attention.

The investigation revealed that the victim, defendant’s then husband, was initially attacked by the defendant while sleeping in bed. The defendant sprayed the victim in the face with an unknown chemical substance causing a burning sensation in the victim’s face and eyes. 

The victim immediately went into the bathroom to rinse the unknown chemical substance in the shower. While in the shower, the defendant entered the bathroom and dowsed the victim with a pot of hot cooking oil.  

Defendant then confronted the victim with a small hand axe. The victim was able to disarm defendant just prior to fleeing the apartment and seeking help from a neighbor.

The victim was transported via ambulance to a local baseball field where he was airlifted by helicopter to the St. Barnabas Medical Center Burn Unit, and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.  

The victim suffered second and third degree burns over 23 percent of his body. He remained at St. Barnabas for five weeks.  

To this day, he has no sight in one eye, nor hearing in one ear, and even after enduring multiple skin grafts, has permanent scarring.

Defendant Mattadeen has been in the Somerset County Jail in lieu of bail since her arrest on April 11, 2012.  After the verdict, Judge Reed ordered that defendant be held without bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for August 8, 2014. 

This matter was investigated by the detectives from the Franklin Township Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit.  The State was represented by Assistant Prosecutor Robert J. Hawkes.