COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – The Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office sentenced a Spokane man to prison after he tried to kill a woman in January.
The charge stems from an incident where Coeur d’Alene police responded to a medical emergency at a hotel on January 6. When police arrived, they found a woman bleeding from her nose and head, where she had multiple deep cuts. The woman reported that she had been beaten with a pair of pliers in a hotel room.
Upon further investigation by police, it was revealed the suspect, a man named Steven Patrick Mott, a 31-year-old from Spokane, had invited the woman (who was homeless) over to his hotel room after he found her sleeping in a storage closet.
After refusing Mott’s sexual advances, the prosecuting office said the woman went to sleep in a separate bedroom but was woken up after Mott hit her in the head with a pair of pliers.
The prosecuting office said the woman was able to wrestle the pliers away, but Mott attempted to strangle and suffocate the woman by placing a pillow over her head. The woman was able to get away after the struggle and seek help.
Police said they found and arrested Mott inside the hotel room. Upon being questioned by officers, Mott admitted he had tried to kill the woman.
Mott was found guilty of Battery With Intent to Commit Murder. At sentencing, Criminal Chief Deputy Laura McClinton recommended a 20-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 13 years.
A district judge sentenced Mott to a 16-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after eight years.
