Fairmont man with history of abuse accused of beating woman

A convicted felon is accused of beating a viciously beating a woman because he believed she was talking to other men.

Nathan McWilliam Gottman, 34, was charged in Martin County Court Thursday with two counts of felony domestic assault.  He’s also charged with obstructing the legal process, a gross misdemeanor.

According to a criminal complaint, Gottman entered a woman’s bedroom while she was sleeping, woke her, and accused her of talking to other guys.

Gottman began looking through the woman’s phone, says the complaint.  When she tried to get up from the bed, Gottman allegedly grabbed her by the throat.  Police say the victim had red marks on the side of her neck.

The victim told officers she managed to get away from Gottman and ran to the living room, where she tried to put on shoes, but Gottman grabbed her and threw her into a center island.  The woman landed on top of a glass table, breaking it, says the complaint.

The complaint says Gottman demanded the woman unlock her phone, then threw it down the hallway, which is when she ran to her car.  Gottman chased her as she backed out of the driveway, says the complaint.

Police say Gottman appeared intoxicated when they went to his home to ask him about the alleged assault.  He was agitated and uncooperative, according to the complaint.  He was arrested and transported to the Martin County Jail.

Court records show Gottman has two 2011 convictions for malicious punishment of a child from Mower and Olmsted counties.

In 2018, Gottman was convicted in Otter Tail County of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.  Court documents say a neighbor called police to report that then- 30-year-old Gottman was having sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl.

Gottman was sentenced in that case to 90 days in jail and 15 years probation.  He was ordered to have no contact with minors and undergo a formal sex offender program.  He was also ordered to register as a predatory offender, but he is not listed in the Minnesota Department of Corrections predatory offender database.