Bill Mathes woke up in October to a skillet striking his head.

April Mathes, his wife of 54 years, struck him three times with the cast iron skillet, causing lacerations and bruising, Mathes told police.

He drove himself to Kootenai Health from his mobile home on the 1200 block of Mill Avenue while April, 72, was arrested and charged with felony domestic battery.

The defendant underwent psychological evaluations since the event, and will have a preliminary hearing Feb. 11 in Coeur d’Alene’s First District Court.

Attorneys asked to vacate a preliminary hearing Thursday because of a plea agreement that could amend the felony complaint to a misdemeanor.

Magistrate Mayli Walsh ordered the continuance.

Police who responded to the hospital said Bill Mathes had a large amount of blood running onto his chest and shoulder. He received nine sutures on his left arm and three staples on the left side of his head.

Mathes said he and his wife had gotten into an argument before he turned in for the night, in the bedroom the couple shared. He was awakened by the bang on his head and he thought he had been struck three times before restraining his wife and driving himself to the hospital.

Detectives found blood in the house, on the floor and mattress, and were told that Mathes’ pillow was thrown away because it was blood soaked.

Detectives said the woman believed her husband was poisoning her food, and that she had been checked but found to not have dementia.

When detectives asked her about the argument, she at first denied it before telling them, “We get along, and then we don’t get along,” according to a police report.

April was released without bond at her first court hearing last year, and was admitted to the state hospital for 30 days in November for evaluation.