A Carbon County man was sentenced to a county prison term last week on a simple assault charge.

Zachary Wayne Stephens, 36, of Lansford, was sentenced to serve six to one day less 24 months in prison on the charge by President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II. He previously entered a plea to the charge with a felony 2 count of aggravated assault dropped in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.

Stephens was arrested on Sept. 6, 2021, by Lansford police at a residence along East Kline Avenue. Police responded to the residence for a disturbance. On scene the victim told police that Stephens, her husband, had cut her with a knife in the neck.

Chief public defender Paul J. Levy said his client has mental health issues and was abusing alcohol at the time of the incident.

Stephens said he doesn’t remember what happened. Two children, ages 9 and 1, were in the home at the time. There is a dispute concerning if either witnessed the assault. The police report indicates at least one did, but the victim said the two children were not present.

Stephens and the victim were not married at the time. The two were married on Feb. 28.

Nanovic said there was something wrong with Stephens’ story. He said the defendant claims he doesn’t remember what happened and was highly intoxicated but when police were summoned he ran. He also went outside and slashed the tires on his vehicle. He said the assault was reported to have occurred in a bedroom and he swung a machete at the victim, striking her, in a doorway of the bedroom.

Nanovic said, “No question you could have killed her. You attempted to kill her.”

Nanovic said the defendant got a substantial break in the plea deal he made.

In addition to the prison term Stephens was ordered to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations, supply a DNA sample, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use, is prohibited from having any weapons, including a machete, pay court costs of over $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.

He began the jail term at noon on Monday.