A Shenango Township man who pleaded guilty to attacking his ex-wife twice and stealing her bank card was sentenced Friday by Mercer County Common Pleas Judge Francis J. Fornelli to at least 16 months in a state prison.

Greg Adams, 44, of 372 Sharon-Bedford Road, had pleaded guilty Feb. 4 to two counts each of terroristic threats and simple assault and one count of theft.

In court, Adams tried to pass the attacks off lightly.

"That isn't going to happen," Fornelli told him. "You struck her, choked her, held a knife to her throat and pushed her down stairs, and you want me to think it was just in play?"

Fornelli also did not accept Adams' excuse that he was under the influence of cocaine when he committed the crimes.

"All you had to do was come in here and be candid and honest," Fornelli said.

Adams could serve up to 2 years and 9 months in prison.

Adams' ex-wife, Mala Adams, refused to let Adams use her car Sept. 3. He shoved her across the kitchen into a stand, choked her and held a knife to her throat, police said.

She escaped and started down a staircase, but he caught her, choked her and pushed her down the rest of the steps, police said.

Adams also kicked the woman several times and slammed her head against a wall, police said.

During the assault, Ms. Adams pulled an alarm and police arrived, but their son, Brent, told police the alarm was an accident, apparently out of fear of his father, police said.

Adams held his hand over his ex-wife's mouth until police left, police said.

Adams also assaulted his ex-wife at home Sept. 22, again after she refused to let Adams use her car. Police said Adams shoved the woman across the kitchen, choked her and held a knife to her throat until she surrendered the car keys.

In a third case, Adams illegally used his ex-wife's automated teller machine card on Sept. 13 and 14 to withdraw a total of $1,000, police said.