PORT TOWNSEND — A former Port Townsend woman has been found guilty of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon after she struck her husband multiple times with a hatchet while he was asleep, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said.
Anna Young, 63, was convicted Friday following a three-week jury trial in Jefferson County Superior Court. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12. She faces a standard range of 93 to 123 months in prison — between seven and 10 years — with two additional years for the use of a deadly weapon, followed by 18 months of probation, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said.
“This was a horrific act of violence that left the victim with life-altering injuries,” Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney James Kennedy stated in a news release. “The conviction reflects the seriousness of her actions and our commitment to holding perpetrators of domestic violence accountable.”
The incident occurred about 5:08 a.m. on Nov. 2, 2021, when Port Townsend Police Department officers were dispatched to the area of 14th Street and Logan Street following reports of a suspicious individual, later identified as the victim, carrying a hammer and knocking on a neighbor’s door. About 5:23 a.m., Jefferson Healthcare hospital contacted the police department to report the man had arrived in the emergency room after he was assaulted by his wife, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said.
The man said he awoke that morning to Young telling him he was “in a dream” while she began attacking him with a hatchet, according to court documents. The man reported being struck about 20 times with the blunt end of the hatchet, and he sustained severe injuries, including a skull fracture, deep lacerations to the back of his head, a severed ear that required plastic surgery and a compound fracture in his middle finger, which was bent backward in what medical professionals said was a defensive wound.
The man attempted to escape, fleeing the bathroom and later to the kitchen while Young was pursuing him and continuing to strike him whenever he attempted to reached a phone to call 911, according to court documents.
While he was in the kitchen, the man grabbed a cast iron skillet and struck Young in the head in self-defense, allowing him to flee to the garage. There, he retrieved a hammer and his car keys before he drove himself to the hospital, according to court documents.
The man was transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for specialized treatment, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said.
Deputy prosecuting attorney Holly Graham praised the efforts of law enforcement, particularly deputy Jon Stuart, who led the investigation.
“Deputy Stuart did an amazing job fighting to get every last scrap of forensic and financial evidence that he could get his hands on,” Graham stated in the news release.
The Port Townsend Police Department encourages anyone experiencing domestic violence to seek help immediately, according to the news release. Resources are available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or through Dove House Advocacy Services at 360-385-5291.
