A Clinton man who violated a court order, assaulted deputies and tampered with a witness was sentenced to jail this week.

Benjamin H. Neal, 42, pleaded guilty in Island County Superior Court Feb. 3 to two counts of assault in the third degree, tampering with a witness and two counts of domestic violence violation of a court order.

Judge Christon Skinner sentenced Neal to 90 days in jail under a first-time offender waiver, which allows a sentence below the standard range.

In court, Neal spoke about how his drinking problem led to the crimes. He said he plans to go into treatment and looks forward to living a life of sobriety. He also said he wrote a letter of apology to the deputies while he was in jail.

On Dec. 12, a deputy with the Island County Superior Court responded to a report of someone continually honking a horn at a Clinton residence.

The deputy encountered Neal, who had a “wild look on his face” and starting swinging a rope attached to a dog leash while walking toward the deputy, the report on the incident states. The deputy drew his taser and retreated to behind his car.

After another deputy arrived at the scene, Neal grabbed his girlfriend and started assaulting her in front of the deputies, the report states. The deputies moved in to save her.

One of the deputies attempted to use a taser, but it malfunctioned and fired off into the bushes. The other deputies successfully shot Neal in the stomach with a taser, but he just pulled the probe off.

Again, a deputy shot a taser, but it stuck into the weather stripping on a door.

Neal still wouldn’t comply with the deputy’s commands, so a deputy used a taser to directly stun him on the neck and he collapsed.

Neal kicked one deputy while being arrested and tried to kick another; he also threatened to kill one of the deputies.

Neal later appeared in court and was ordered not to have any contact with the woman he was accused of assaulting. But he called her from jail 12 times and repeatedly instructed her to recant her story to prosecutors.