AUGUSTA — A woman charged with elevated aggravated assault in the stabbing of her boyfriend — apparently with a butter knife — Dec. 20 in their Gage Street apartment, pleaded guilty earlier this week to a lesser charge of assault with a dangerous weapon was placed on deferred disposition for 18 months.

Ariana Lee Doherty, 28, now of Belgrade, will spend nine months in jail, and must apply to participate in the Criminogenic Addiction & Recovery Academy, or CARA.

If she completes the deferral period successfully, the felony assault charge will be dismissed. She had no prior criminal record.

She also pleaded guilty to a separate misdemeanor assault charge in connection with the same incident. The victim of both assaults, Donald Ladson, told police she thrust a lit cigarette in his eye, but he believed it was by accident. He told police at the time of the incident that they fought after he arrived home late and drunk.

A police affidavit said Ladson had stab wounds in the middle of his back and in his left shoulder. He was taken to the Augusta hospital, where he was treated.

“The victim recovered from the injuries and did not want her prosecuted and said it was all his fault,” said District Attorney Maeghan Maloney. Maloney said the investigation indicated the two had fought and he ended up with more severe injuries.

Doherty’s attorney, Lisa Whittier, said the victim told police the weapon was a butter knife that had been used to make a baloney sandwich and that the knife was thrown in a snowbank and never recovered.

Several other people were sentenced this week in separate hearings in Kennebec County Superior Court:

• Stephanie Bolte, 42, of Waterville, operating while license suspended or revoked Jan. 8 in Monmouth; $500 fine.

• Mark Evans, 32, of Rome, violating condition of release and assault Nov. 14, in Augusta; four day jail sentence.

• Paul Fay, 29, of Poland, domestic violence assault Dec. 21, in Waterville; nine month jail sentence.

• Michael R. Martin, 25, of Manchester, three counts of theft by unauthorized taking Feb. 25-28, in Augusta; 180 day jail sentence, $300 fine, $120 restitution.

• Patrick Murchison, 53, of Lewiston, operating while license suspended or revoked Oct. 23, in West Gardiner and Oct. 12,in Lewiston; seven day jail sentence, $1,000 in fines.

• Melissa Musselman, 24, of Mount Vernon, criminal mischief Aug. 6, 2012 in Winthrop; four day jail sentence.

• Jarrod Standring, 29, of Farmingdale, operating after habitual offender revocation June 26, and theft by unauthorized taking or transfer Nov. 15, in Farmingdale; and unsworn falsification and violating condition of release Oct. 9, in Augusta; seven month jail sentence, $40 restitution.

• Mary J. Testerman, 47, of Augusta, violating condition of release June 93, in Augusta; 24 hour jail sentence, $200 fine.

• James D. Tripp, 33, of Gardiner, theft by deception and misuse of identification May 14, in Litchfield; five year jail sentence, all but nine months suspended, two years’ probation, $1,474 restitution.

• Tonya Valley, 38, of Winthrop, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer Nov. 19, in Augusta.

Betty Adams — 621-5631 badams@centralmaine.com Twitter: @betadams

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