By Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First

A Colchester father, who broke both a leg and an arm of a 7-week-old boy, has been sentenced to 36 days in prison for two counts of felony aggravated domestic assault on a child.

Joshua Richland, 28, was sentenced to concurrent 1-to-15-year prison terms with all but 36 days suspended in each case by Vermont Superior Court Judge John Pacht.

The judge agreed to allow Richland to serve his prison sentence a few days at a time at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans Town.

Richland began his first weekend in prison at 5 p.m. last Friday and stayed until 10 a.m. Sunday. Richland’s sentence will continue with him reporting each future week to the prison at 5 p.m. on Thursdays and being released at 10 a.m. on Saturdays until the 36 days are completed over 12 weeks, court records show.

Instead of 72 hours for three full days, Richland will get credit for three prison days each time by serving about 41 hours behind bars, court records show.

Judge Pacht also imposed $294 in court costs for Richland. The sentence will allow Richland to keep his job in cybersecurity for an undisclosed employer.

The judge ordered Richland to continue to work with five named people on a treatment plan and he cannot leave therapy without consent of his therapist.

“The therapy should address mental health and anger management,” Pacht wrote.

Richland was directed not to use physical discipline or touch children out of anger while on state probation, the judge said.

Richland pleaded guilty May 1 to the two felony charges and a pre-sentence investigation was ordered.

As part of the plea agreement, four other related misdemeanor charges were dropped by the office of State’s Attorney Sarah George: three counts of cruelty to a child and one count of domestic assault.

Those four charges stemmed from incidents on both Jan. 3, 2025 and Feb. 4, 2025, court records show.

The boy with the broken bones in February also had been treated at the hospital for a sprained ankle in January when he was about two weeks old, court records noted.

Under the plea agreement reached in May, the state was free to argue for a sentence of 1 to 15 years with all but 1 year suspended, while defense attorney Jessica Burke could ask for less.

After a nearly day-long contested sentencing hearing with multiple witnesses for both sides last week, Judge Pacht decided 36 days was enough time, records show.

The defense called 9 witnesses, including Timothy Ricciardello, Josh Miller, James Wood, Grace Sunderland, Peter Dietz, Todd Perna, Mark Fay and Allan Monniere. Richland’s wife also was called to the stand. The state had used two witnesses, including a hospital doctor.

Richland was living on Oak Terrace in Colchester when police received a complaint from the UVM Medical Center, where the boy was being treated for a broken bone in February 2025, records show.

During Richland’s arraignment in February 2025, Judge David Fenster had ordered the defendant not to initiate contact with his wife and their three young children in person, in writing, by phone or other electronic communication, including social media or a third party.

The criminal case was investigated by the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations (CUSI), which handles the most serious child abuse cases in the county and the Department for Children and Families (DCF).

Richland first lied to police when confronted by investigators in February 2025, according to Burlington Detective Thomas Chenette, who was assigned to CUSI.

The following day Richland called police and agreed to an interview and told a story that was consistent with the injuries the boy received, Chenette said in a court affidavit. He admitted he had purposely injured children in the past, Chenette wrote. Richland was arrested and arraigned.

Judge Pacht said there was more to be done going forward.

“The court encourages DCF to re-open the DCF case and work with the family to start reunification. Visits with children need to start as supervised, by

Pacht wrote that Richland should continue working with Ricciardello, Miller, Dietz, Perna, and Fay and follow any treatment plan.

Under the terms of his probation, Richland was ordered not to be convicted of another crime or engage in criminal behavior.

Richland is required to tell his probation officer about any job he secures.

He also may not legally buy, have or use any firearms, muzzleloaders or other deadly weapons, Pacht said.