'Among the worst domestic violence I have seen'

COEUR d’ALENE — A 28-year-old Post Falls man who threatened to gut a woman with a screwdriver will serve at least five years in prison, a Coeur d’Alene judge ordered this week.

Nicholas I. Kuykendall said he was using methamphetamine when the incidents occurred and that he was remorseful for his actions, but First District Judge Cynthia K.C. Meyer considered the behavior threatening enough to warrant locking up the defendant for a long time.

“The facts of this case are particularly violent, terrifying, scary and beyond the pale,” Meyer said at Thursday’s sentencing. “We do not in our society tolerate this type of conduct.”

Kuykendall was charged in March with two counts of aggravated assault, domestic battery, strangulation, stalking, malicious injury to property and a domestic battery enhancement — based on a compilation of many incidents.

He pleaded guilty to three of the charges including assault, strangulation and the enhancement, and has been in the Kootenai County Jail on a $75,000 bond since his arrest.

Meyer ordered Thursday he serve between five and 15 years behind bars.

At an earlier hearing Kuykendall slammed his head against a court table causing it to bleed “all over,” according to a bailiff, and he violated a no-contact order while in custody by yelling “I love you,” to the victim following a hearing, according to testimony.

“The victim looked frightened,” bailiff Teresa Wallace said.

Kuykendall is accused of threatening the victim with a long-bladed knife, puncturing her car tires and strangling her.

“He was outside her car licking a knife,” deputy prosecutor Rebecca Perez said. “He slashed her tires and she was still able to get away.”

Police seized cellphone images in which Kuykendall posed shirtless with medieval weapons. He allegedly strangled the victim twice, causing her to blackout at least once after accusing her of stealing his drugs and lottery tickets. He stalked her, showing up at odd places, knocked her down, stuck a screwdriver into her ribs and threatened to kill her.

“The kids saw this,” Perez said.

Attorney Dan Cooper said his client was repentant, and recommended Kuykendall be placed on a year-long prison rider program and be offered treatment once he’s on probation, but prosecutors and the judge did not leave room for probation.

Meyer said Kuykendall’s action earned him a prison sentence.

“This is among the worst domestic violence I have seen,” she said.