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Steubenville woman sentenced in stabbing of husband

STEUBENVILLE — Dawn E. Liggett Hutchison, 50, of 2101 Myers Ave., who was arrested for stabbing her husband in the back, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Monday by Jefferson County Common Pleas Court Judge Michelle Miller.

But Hutchison could be released from prison in about 30 days and placed in an in-patient mental health facility in Logan.

City Police were called around 10:17 p.m. on Feb. 21 to her house and found Jeffrey Hutchison, 40, with wounds to his face and a deep knife wound to his back. Hutchison was driven to the county airport where he was placed into a STAT MedEvac helicopter and flown to a Pittsburgh hospital with the knife still in his back.

Hutchison pleaded guilty to an amended charge of aggravated assault.

She was placed on three years of probation on Feb. 5 by Miller after Liggett pleaded guilty to a charge of felony resisting arrest which could have resulted in serious physical harm.

Hutchison was threatening suicide when she was shot in the leg on May 25, 2015, after she wrestled with a City Police officer for control of a gun. Police reported Hutchison earlier that night was involved in an argument with her husband inside a city home, and she fired several shots inside the house. Jeffrey Hutchison, who married Dawn Hutchison on May 9, 2015, wasn’t injured, police reported. She also had been charged with hitting her husband in the head with a skillet.

Assistant Prosecutor Frank Bruzzese said the underlying problem with Hutchison is a combination of mental illness and a “toxic relationship between her and her husband.” Bruzzese said the Hutchisons have to stay apart or “there will be more trouble.”

Defense attorney Kristopher Haught asked Miller to keep Hutchison in the county jail for 30 to 60 days before she asks for judicial release as opposed to being sent to prison.

Jeffrey Hutchison told Miller at the hearing on Monday that he loves his wife and the most important thing is they get things worked out.

Miller said Dawn Hutchison was provoked on multiple occasions by her husband. The judge said her actions are consistent with battered spouse syndrome. Miller said she is concerned about Dawn Hutchison being a repeat offender with her history with her husband.

The Hutchisons will not be allowed to be together until a counselor and Miller approve it. There is a no-contact order in effect.

Miller said she wouldn’t comment on early release for Hutchison until a hearing is held.

The judge said she will allow Hutchison to be escorted by a sheriff’s deputy to her house to get items out because of a mortgage foreclosure. A.L.I..V.E. domestic violence shelter workers also will help.

A man who is a suspect in several vehicle break-ins and the theft of credit cards was sentenced Monday by Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge Joseph Bruzzese Jr. to 12 months in prison.

Matthew Tibbs, 29, of 1588 state Route 43, Richmond, pleaded guilty to theft of a credit card and misdemeanor criminal damaging. Tibbs broke the window of a vehicle in Richmond on June 12 and stole a credit card.

He also pleaded guilty to theft of a credit card involving a case in the city.

Tibbs and Nicole F. Tibbs, 27, of the same address, were arrested by City Police on June 15 in connection with vehicle break-ins at the parking lot at Trinity Medical Center East.

Police reported windows on four vehicles in the hospital parking lot were broken and items inside were taken. The thefts were reported around 7:30 p.m. on June 15.

Police were then called a short time later to a parking lot in the 200 block of South Fourth Street to investigate reports that two people had been seen looking into vehicle windows. Matthew Tibbs and Nicole F. Tibbs, 27, were arrested by officers.

Police reported a large screwdriver was found on Matthew Tibbs, which may have been used to break the vehicle windows. Officers said a stack of gift cards and credit cards were found on Nicole Tibbs. Two of the credit cards came from a vehicle broken into at the hospital parking lot, police reported.

Nicole Tibbs’ case was bound over to the grand jury on a charge of receiving stolen property.

Matthew Tibbs also was sentenced to eight month in prison out of Harrison County for theft of a firearm. The Jefferson County sentences will run consecutive to the Harrison County sentence for a total of 20 months in prison.

(Law can be contacted at mlaw@heraldstaronline.com.)

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