Dartmouth man sentenced for stabbing girlfriend in 2022
DARTMOUTH, Mass. (WLNE) — A Dartmouth man was sentenced in Fall River Superior Court on Sept. 5 after he was convicted of stabbing his girlfriend in 2022, according to the Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn, III.
42-year-old Ryan Veenstra was sentenced to twelve to fifteen years.
According to Quinn, Dartmouth police responded to the victim’s residence on Oct. 7, 2022 and found her bleeding from a stab wound to the neck.
At the scene, police said Veenstra, the victim’s boyfriend at the time, was providing aid to her neck.
As police spoke with Veenstra, officers reported he “appeared to be extremely intoxicated” and interrupted the victim when she attempted to speak with police.
The victim initially told police, in front of Veenstra, that she had pulled over her vehicle after a Door Dash delivery and was stabbed, but did not describe a suspect.
In January 2024, the victim went to the Dartmouth Police Department and told police that Veenstra had stabbed her back on Oct. 7, 2022.
The victim said she had arrived home after a Door Dash delivery and saw Veenstra intoxicated.
He accused the victim of stealing his phone, which was on her vehicle’s dashboard. When she attempted to give him his phone, Veenstra stabbed her.
According to Quinn, the victim told police the defendant was wearing “a pair of brass knuckles with a blade attached to them” and threatened to kill her if she reported that the defendant stabbed her.
Veenstra called police and said a stranger stabbed the woman.
The victim ended their relationship the next day, which was followed by three months of calls and texts from Veenstra, which oftentimes amounted to 50 to 100 messages per day. This included apologies and threats to her phone, as well as her family and friends’ phones.
Quinn said the victim suffered permanent nerve damage from the stabbing, as well as internal stiches to her neck, external staples, and a scar.
On Aug. 21, 2025, Veenstra was convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, intimidation of a witness, and stalking.
