A Stoney Creek man pled guilty Monday to stabbing his girlfriend’s brother multiple times during an argument in March of last year.
On Monday, Justin Frank Artigue, 20, of 234 Panhandle Road, entered a guilty plea to a charge of aggravated assault in Carter County Criminal Court before Judge Stacy Street.
Artigue was sentenced to serve 3 years in prison, but Street granted the man alternative sentencing in the form of split confinement. As part of his plea agreement, Artigue will spend 8 months in jail and will then serve four years on probation through the Tennessee Department of Corrections. The court ordered that Artigue have “no contact of any kind” with the man he stabbed, John Ivanhoff.
After he entered his guilty plea, Artigue was taken into custody by the deputies of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office and taken to the Carter County Detention Center to begin serving his sentence.
The charge against Artigue came following an investigation into a stabbing that happened at Artigue’s home on Panhandle Road on March 13 around 10:30 p.m.
“Upon my arrival, I observed a white male on the floor of the residence who was bleeding from multiple stab wounds to his chest, left side and back,” CCSD Sgt. Larry Vaughn said, adding the man was identified as Ivanoff. Another man in the home, Brent Peters, was attempting to administer first aid to Ivanoff when officers arrived, Vaughn said.
Both Ivanoff and Peters identified Artigue as the man who had stabbed Ivanoff, Vaughn said, adding that Artigue had left the home before police arrived. The witnesses reported Artigue is dating Ivanoff’s sister and the two men had been involved in an argument, which led to a fist fight and ultimately resulted in Artigue stabbing Ivanoff.
After Ivanoff was taken for medical treatment, Artigue returned to the home and was taken into custody.
While speaking to investigators, Artigue said he may have cut Ivanoff but he only intended to brandish the knife in order to break up the fight, Vaughn said, adding witness statements told a different story of what happened.
“Mr. Peters said he witnessed the fight and said both Mr. Artigue and Mr. Ivanoff were throwing punches and fell to the floor,” Vaughn said. “Mr. Peters said that when both men got up from the floor, Mr. Artigue pulled a knife from his pocket and began to stab Mr. Ivanoff.”