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LISBON -- A young woman who stabbed her boyfriend in 2018 told Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam he was on top of her, pulling her hair and punching her when she "stuck him" with a knife.
Keelie L. Wright, 21, East Washington Street, Lisbon, had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, a fourth-degree felony and a lesser charge to the second-degree felony felonious assault charge she was initially indicted on. She appeared Thursday in Common Pleas Court for sentencing.
Wright's defense attorney, James Wise, first talked about Wright's relationship with the victim in the case, Christian J. Perrin, stating when it was good, it seemed to be very good, but the relationship also had a violent side. Wise said it was questionable whether the prior numerous violent acts would have been allowed during a trial and Wright had not called the police during them.
"She should have left this relationship a long time ago," Wise said, describing one incident where Wright said he had dragged her around by the hair, even as clumps of hair came out.
According to Wise, it has taken Wright a long time in counseling to see that the relationship she had with the man she thought of as her "best friend" was causing her post traumatic stress.
"What happened here, everybody in this room and even the victim who is not here, is lucky nobody got killed," Wise said.
Wright said she understood the seriousness of her actions and wanted to take responsibility for her actions, but at the time it happened she was scared and had gone through so much before this. She said her family and others do not understand what she has been through and she hid what was happening in her relationship.
"I am deeply and genuinely sorry for the actions I caused," Wright said. "It was not my intention. I understand I have to pay for what I have done. I am just asking for a little bit of consideration. To this day I am still suffering. There is no cure for PTSD."
According to Wright, she lied to the police about what happened on Oct. 20, 2018, the time she said an intoxicated Perrin attacked her when they got home and it ended with her stabbing Perrin. She said she lied because she still did not want him to go to jail.
Now Wright said she goes to counseling every week and works full time, trying to stay busy. She takes anxiety medication and is no longer in a relationship with Perrin.
Washam placed Wright on three years of community control and credited her with 47 days already served in the county jail. She was ordered to continue having no contact with Perrin and to continue with counseling.
Wright has no past criminal record and Assistant County Prosecutor Ryan Weikart has suggested either a six-month prison term or community control with possible counseling at the Eastern Ohio Correctional Center. Washam elected not to go with the EOCC, which is geared more toward drug rehabilitation counseling.