CASSOPOLIS — A Jones man who nearly killed his girlfriend last October was sentenced to 15 years in prison Friday in Cass County Circuit Court.

Devin Ted Lester, 34, of M-40 in Jones, pleaded no contest to assault with intent to commit murder and bribing/intimidating a witness. He was sentenced to 15 years to 30 years in prison on the assault charge and credit for 340 days already served on the witness intimidation charge. He must pay $2,176.

The incident occurred Oct. 22, 2018, at a residence on M-40 in Jones in eastern Cass County. Lester had an altercation with his girlfriend and her father, and then stabbed the woman seven times in the chest with a screwdriver. He later tried to intimidate her to not testify against him.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Tiffiny Vohwinkle noted that the woman had to have surgery and could have been killed as she was stabbed within an inch of her heart. She described the whole incident as a kind of horror scene where Lester first attacked his girlfriend’s father and then went after his girlfriend with a screwdriver after she had fled to a neighbor’s home.

“He still appears be questioning his responsibility and blaming the victim,” Vohwinkle said. “He was in a manic episode but still blames the victim. … He later made a threat that he was going to go to Lansing and bomb the state capitol.”

Defense attorney Gregory Feldman asked for a sentence of 10 years at the low end of the guidelines, citing the fact that Lester doesn’t have a prior record. He added that his client has mental health problems and was drinking heavily at the time of the incident.

“Your neighbor saw you chase her and stab her. She had seven stab wounds and needed surgery to save her life,” Cass County Circuit Judge Mark Herman told Lester. “Then you contacted her from jail to get her to change her story. Your actions were very serious and could have led to the death of the victim. There is no excuse for what you did.”

Also in court Friday:

• A Cassopolis man found guilty by a jury in August of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and unlawful use of a registration plate was also sentenced to prison.

Kevin Michael Maxam, 53, of S. Rowland Street in Cassopolis, was sentenced to three to 20 years on the stolen vehicle charge and credit for time served, 163 days, on the registration plate charge. He must pay $1,548.

The incident occurred Jan. 14, 2018, when a pickup truck and other items were stolen from an Elkhart car dealer. GPS monitoring tracked the vehicle to Maxam’s home in Cassopolis a day later. Maxam denied stealing it but could not give the name of the person he said he got the truck from.

Vohwinkle noted that Maxam faces other charges including home invasion, larceny and meth possession.

“This is likely the least of his problems,” she said. “My biggest frustration is that he blames someone else. He makes so many excuses. At some point, he has to man up, but at 53, I don’t know when that will happen.”

“This is your seventh felony,” Judge Herman said. “You’ve been sentenced to prison three times before in Michigan, plus once to federal prison. You’re 53, and you’ve spent the better part of half your adult life behind bars. You have completed probation in the past, but here we are back again.”

• A Dowagiac man who violated his probation from a September 2017 sentence on three drug related charges by being kicked out of a drug treatment program is going to prison.

Thomas Edward Williams, 48, of O’Keefe Road in Dowagiac, had his probation revoked and was sentenced to concurrent prison terms of 68 months to 20 years for delivery/manufacture of controlled substances, 14 months to 10 years for possession of meth and 14 months to four years for tampering with evidence. He has credit for 366 days already served.

Besides being kicked out of the drug treatment program, Williams sold methamphetamines to an undercover officer on March 11.

• A Cassopolis woman was sentenced to a year in jail on a meth charge.

Autumn Hope Weldon, 40, of Osborn Street in Cassopolis, pleaded guilty to possession of meth as a habitual offender and was sentenced to one year in jail, and $1,198 in fines and costs. She has credit for no time served since she was on parole at the time of the incident.

The incident occurred June 19 at her home in Cassopolis when parole agents and police searched her home and found meth and other drug related items.

Vohwinkle noted that Weldon has been given multiple chances to change.

“She just needs to be away from controlled substances. She can’t do it herself,” she said.

Defense attorney Lanny Fisher said Weldon has a substance abuse problem and will not get any credit for the 101 days she has spent in custody as she is on parole from an earlier drug conviction.

Weldon asked for another chance to be with her children.

“You say you want to regain custody of your children, but it’s not possible as long as you use drugs. They are mutually exclusive. … If you continue to use meth, don’t tell me you love your children,” Judge Herman said. “I think jail is a better option than prison but this is your last chance. Next time, rest assured, you will go to prison.”