Man gets 17 1/2 months for Moses Lake stabbing

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man who stabbed another man several times during a mid-October altercation will be spending almost a year and a half in prison.

Matthew McNamara, 36, of Moses Lake, pleaded guilty in Grant County Superior Court to second-degree assault and was sentenced to a total of 17 1/2 months behind prison bars.

The sentence relates to a Oct. 14 call received by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office from McNamara’s fiancée, who claimed McNamara had been attacked and stabbed another man in the back in the 4800 block of Stratford Road Northeast. When deputies arrived McNamara was having a seizure and was later transported to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake for post-seizure and rib pain treatment.

The male victim in the incident explained he was walking to the garbage dump at his apartment complex when he noticed McNamara walk out of his apartment and head toward him, according to court documents. The victim said McNamara was walking behind his fiancée and they both cursed at him as they approached. The victim picked up a rock and told the pair if they didn’t leave he was going to hit them with it.

McNamara then approached the victim and punched him in the face. The female attempted to hold McNamara back and more words were exchanged between him and the victim, after which the victim says he was stabbed three times in the back by McNamara. The victim admitted pushing McNamara to the ground and possibly kicking him as well, after which he said he received a fourth possible stab wound to the leg.

To back up his story the victim was able to provide a cell phone video he took of the incident. In the video McNamara can reportedly be seen exchanging words with the victim and reaching into his right pocket for the knife, pulling his hand out and hitting the victim.

McNamara came clean and admitted to attempting to stab the victim. He claimed, however, he was on the ground when he attempted to stab him “which the video showed otherwise.”

“Matthew stated the reason he was trying to stab (the victim) because (the victim) was kicking and stomping on his head. Matthew, fearing for his life, reached into his right pocket to grab the knife, and began to swing the knife at (the victim). Matthew said he was not sure if he did make contact with (the victim),” wrote a deputy.

The victim was transported to Samaritan Hospital where it was learned one of the stab wounds had punctured the man’s abdominal wall, causing him to bleed internally.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at rbyrd@columbiabasinherald.com.