A South Point man will go to a mental hospital instead of court, after he was found incompetent to stand trial on theft and other charges.

David M. Jenkins, 33, of 143 Private Drive 268, was arrested in February on charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle, failure to comply with the order and signal of a police officer and resisting arrest. But a report from psychologist Wayne Price of Shawnee Mental Health, submitted April 10, stated Jenkins is unable at this time to stand trial.

“The report suggests he be admitted to Heartland Behavioral Health in Massillon and our request is that this be done as soon as possible,” Jenkins’ attorney, Philip Heald said, told Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge D. Scott Bowling.

Bowling granted the request to send Jenkins to the mental health facility.

Also Wednesday, Dickie Wilson, 27, was sentenced to four years community controlled sanctions under intensive supervised probation CCS/ISP) after he pleaded guilty to a charge of theft. Judge Charles Cooper also ordered Wilson to successfully complete a rehabilitation program at the STAR Criminal Justice Center.

In another case, Christopher Lee Martin, 19, of 1524 S. Fourth St., Ironton, pleaded guilty on a bill of information to one count each of possession of criminal tools, trafficking in crack cocaine and possession of cocaine. He will be sentenced next week.

Aaron Adkins, 20, of 110 Fairview Ave., South Point, admitted he violated his probation by not completing a program at the Salvation Army in Dayton.

Assistant Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson asked Bowling to impose the four-year prison sentence reserved when Adkins pleaded guilty to intimidation of a witness.

“I wholeheartedly disagree with the state’s recommendation,” Adkins’ attorney, Michael Gleichauf, said. “He was at the Salvation Army in Dayton but he was released after two months. The reason he was kicked out was not because of addiction. He was asked to leave. He did not leave on his own accord.

Ask that you take that into consideration.”

He asked Bowling to sentence Adkins to home confinement of six months to a year as well as outpatient drug treatment.

“It didn’t work out,” Adkins said. “They said they felt like I didn’t want to be there. They came to me one morning and said ‘you gotta go.’”

But Bowling ruled home confinement is a lesser sentence than the one originally imposed. He sentenced Adkins to four years in prison but said he would entertain the possibility of early release if Adkins stayed out of trouble while he was behind bars.

“It’s really up to you what path your future take,” Bowling said.