A Brookville man was sentenced Friday in Clarion County court to at least 20 years in state prison for the attempted murder of a New Bethlehem man.
Matthew Duane Atcheson, 38, had been found guilty following a three-day jury trial in December of charges of criminal attempted murder of the first degree, two counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault, and a single count of recklessly endangering another person.
Several of the charges were merged, and Senior Judge James Arner sentenced Atcheson to serve 20 to 40 years on the attempted murder charge, 33 to 66 months on the aggravated assault charge and six to 20 months on the recklessly endangering charge.
The sentences will run concurrently, and Atcheson will be given credit for 466 days he had already served in the Clarion County jail.
The charges stem from an incident in a New Bethlehem bar in October 2018 in which Atcheson cut the throat of a New Bethlehem man following a disagreement.
Atcheson said prior to his sentencing that “nothing good ever comes from drinking or going to bars.” He said that, considering his age, that his life was “over.”