Published: July 16, 2009 11:40 pm      

Man convicted in sword attack

Maysville — A Mason County jury on Wednesday convicted a former Morehead man on several felony charges for attacking two of his neighbors with a samurai sword.

Jason L. Mullikin was found guilty of second-degree burglary, two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, third-degree assault and two counts of third-degree terroristic threatening.

The same jury that convicted Mullikin recommended he serve 20 years in prison for his crimes, the maximum sentence allowed under state law.

According to Mason County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Gary W. Adkins, who prosecuted the case, the charges against Mullikin stemmed from a Sept. 18 incident in which the defendant assaulted his neighbor, Kent Fields, went into Fields’ house, grabbed a samurai sword and began chasing Fields and another neighbor, Frank Fryman, with it while threatening to kill them.

When police arrived, Mullikin fled to his parents’ residence, where police apprehended him and recovered the sword. As he was being placed into a cruiser, Mullikin assaulted a Maysville police office, Adkins said.

Mullikin, who represented himself during his two-day trial, claimed self-defense. He maintained Fields had repeatedly invaded his residence and was poisoning him. Mullikin also told jurors that police refused to investigate his allegations, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Mason Circuit Judge Stockton Wood scheduled Mullikin’s final sentencing for Aug. 14.

KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.