After his girlfriend told him on Aug. 14 that their relationship was over and he needed to leave her Taylor home, Barry Lewis asked to go back into the building to retrieve his sweatshirt.

When he returned, he attacked Jennie Falkenstein with a box cutter, stabbing her in the chest.

On Tuesday, Magisterial Judge Joanne Corbett rejected a request by the man’s attorney to reduce his charges and moved the case on to county court.

Mr. Lewis, 34, 135 Union St., Taylor, has been charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault and disorderly conduct. Wearing beige prison clothes and jingling shackles, he sat quietly throughout the hearing, slumped in his chair and mostly keeping his gaze down.

His attorney, Assistant Public Defender Robert C. Trichilo, argued that the stab wound Ms. Falkenstein sustained this summer did not justify the more serious charge of attempted homicide, pointing to the fact that Ms. Falkenstein appeared to have made a full recovery and had no permanent injury.

At one point during the cross-examination, the victim pulled down her shirt to reveal a white scar on her chest and described the “spouting” blood and the punctured lung that resulted from the stabbing by Mr. Lewis.

“He’s an evil man and he’s caused an evil crime here,” Deputy District Attorney Gene Riccardo told the judge.

Mr. Trichilo responded after the hearing that he fully believes his client is innocent of attempted homicide.

Mr. Lewis remains in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail. A pre-trial conference and formal arraignment are scheduled for Dec. 12.

Contact the writer:

pcameron@timesshamrock.com