Man pleads not guilty to assault

A 51-year-old Kalispell man pleaded not guilty Thursday in Flathead District Court to felony charges of assault with a weapon and burglary.

David Carr is alleged to have broken into the apartment of a sleeping Kalispell woman on June 3, pinning her to the bed and telling her he was going to kill her, then commit suicide.

He then allegedly stabbed her in the neck before she fought him off.

According to a court document, Carr held her at knife point for more than an hour, refusing to let her leave or call for help. The woman eventually was able to reason with him and he put the knife away and left.

She told police she believed Carr entered her home by using the knife to open her door, and officers discovered the door jamb had a clean cut in the weather stripping as if it had been cut by a knife.

In addition to the stab wound in her neck, the woman suffered defensive cuts on her hands from fighting off Carr.

If convicted of both charges, Carr faces up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. He is currently being held in the Flathead County Detention Center, where his bond is set at $50,000.

His next hearing is set for Oct. 17.