Caleb Covey, a Lincoln County man with a violent criminal past, is back in the county detention center after assaulting a woman last week at a Pipe Creek residence outside of Libby.

Covey, 39, avoided jail time earlier this year when visiting Flathead County District Judge Amy Eddy gave him a 20-year suspended sentence for his wild chase Jan. 13, 2024 from law enforcement officers from two states and three counties.

Covey pleaded guilty, but mentally ill, April 7 to seven counts of felony criminal mischief and one felony count of criminal endangerment. Other charges were dismissed following the April 3 plea deal between Lincoln County Deputy Attorney Jeff Zwang and Sean Hinchey, Covey’s attorney at the time.

Covey originally faced decades of confinement at the state hospital in Warm Springs, but the sad state of affairs there played a large role in Eddy’s decision to not give him time in custody. The beleaguered facility has been the focus of many media accounts detailing its failings that included the deaths of a number of patients.

“I know you have a long criminal history before your 2015 diagnosis of mental illness, but I find no motivation beyond punishment to send you to Warm Springs,” Eddy said. “The last time I had a defendant who was trying to get placement in the state hospital, it took a year.”

Eddy quizzed Zwang about what would happen to Covey if she sentenced him to confinement. Following that discussion, Eddy seemed ready to ensure Covey wouldn’t spend time in custody.

“It’s been 18 months since the offense and things have changed,” the judge said. “If I sentence him to custody, he’ll sit in the county jail until his placement in the state hospital. Then, sooner or later, he’ll be released. What I don’t want is for his medication to be interrupted and create more issues.”

Zwang argued that despite Covey’s current mental health diagnosis, he deserved time in the Warm Springs facility. 

“In 2018, he was harassing his ex-wife when a police pursuit occurred, he’s had multiple pursuits with law enforcement, he’s a clear danger to the public and law enforcement and he’s caused tens of thousands of dollars of damage to citizen’s property,” Zwang argued. “He’s terrorized and endangered this community for a number of years and they deserve a break from this defendant’s actions.”

Covey attorney Nate Holloway argued for a probationary sentence. That argument included the fact that Covey lives with his parents, Larry and Pam Covey, and works on their property.

“His mother, Pam Covey, was a nurse and she closely monitors the defendant’s daily activities and prepares and administers his medications every day,” Holloway wrote.

In the latest alleged incident, county deputy Joshua Brabo was called to a residence on West Pipe Creek Road a few minutes after 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10 when the mother of the alleged victim called to report her daughter was barricaded in a bathroom after Covey allegedly struck the woman.

Brabo’s report said Covey broke down the rear door of the residence. Despite several people in the home telling the accused to leave, he didn’t before kicking in the bathroom door. It struck and injured the woman. Two eyewitnesses at the scene corroborated the woman’s account.

Covey is charged with one felony count of aggravated burglary and three misdemeanors, including partner/family member assault, criminal mischief and criminal trespass.

A conviction for felony burglary may result in a maximum term of 40 years in the Montana State Prison. The others may result in a county jail term of up to 12 months.

Covey's past includes two run-ins with law officers dating back to 2015. He was arrested on April 23, 2015 following a domestic disturbance at his home. A plea deal saw two counts of assaulting a peace officer dropped in exchange for a guilty plea to two counts of misdemeanor resisting arrest. That resulted in a suspended sentence in 2016.

Covey received a 10-year sentence, with five suspended, in 2019 following a drunken police chase in September 2018. At some point, Covey was paroled.