PARIS – A Sumner man pleaded not guilty Thursday to several charges stemming from a domestic incident in September.

Jason Mark Merriam, 26, of 25 Main St. in Sumner, is charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, domestic assault, criminal threatening, and two counts of terrorizing.

Merriam is accused of driving his 33-year-old girlfriend to his residence against her will after threatening to kill her. According to an affidavit filed by Deputy Michael Halacy of the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, Merriam made multiple threats on the woman’s life, and also told her 13-year-old daughter over the phone that he was going to kill everyone who mattered to the woman.

Merriam is accused of restraining the woman by sitting on her and choking her several times, timing each strangulation attempt on his watch. The woman stated that prior to this incident, Merriam slammed her head against his vehicle’s door and steering wheel.

According to the affidavit, the victim suffered from a sore neck, head, and arm, as well as a ringing in her left ear, but refused medical treatment.

Merriam turned himself in at the Oxford County Jail after police made contact with him.

Justice Robert E. Crowley set Merriam’s bail at $10,000 cash or $100,000 surety. However, Merriam is being held without bail on a probation violation.

According to court documents, at the time of the September incident, Merriam was on probation for stealing a delivery truck from Quality Egg Farms in Turner in 2002. He drove the truck to Derby, Vt. before he was apprehended by the Vermont State Police.

Merriam was sentenced to six years in prison, all suspended, and three years’ probation. The theft also led to a revocation of an earlier probation Merriam was serving for two counts of assaulting an officer and criminal mischief.

For that conviction, Merriam was sentenced to five years in prison, with all but one year suspended. Following the theft conviction, he was ordered to serve the remaining four years.