COEUR d'ALENE - A 38-year-old Coeur d'Alene man, a habitual violent offender, was sentenced Monday to a fixed prison term of 25 years in prison.

Kenneth E. Schleining was sentenced in Kootenai County to 15 years for attempted strangulation plus 10 years for being what's considered by the courts to be a habitual offender. This was his third felony offense, the Kootenai County prosecutor's office said.

He was sentenced by 1st District Court Judge Fred Gibler.

Schleining admitted to the charge, which related to a Sept. 25 incident involving his then-girlfriend.

The incident included Schleining choking his girlfriend while telling her that he was going to kill her, the prosecutor's office said in a news release Tuesday.

He has an extensive criminal record, including convictions while a juvenile, felony aggravated battery, unlawful sexual activity with a minor, and a no-contact order violation.

The aggravated battery conviction arose from an incident where he slit the throat of a girlfriend who was trying to break up with him, the prosecutor's office said.

After serving a five-year prison term ending in 2005, Schleining was released on parole and five months later he committed the unlawful sexual activity with a minor offense.

He was imprisoned in Utah until 2009, when he was returned to Idaho to complete a sentence on the aggravated battery charge.

Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh said the habitual offender enhancement used by Gibler serves an appropriate purpose in protecting society from Schleining.

"He continues to victimize women in ways that indicate that even while under supervision he is a threat to seriously injure or kill," McHugh said. "By his actions, Mr. Schleining indicates he needs to be incarcerated for the period of time imposed in this matter."