A homeless man who threatened a stranger with a knife outside a Port Townsend smoke shop was given a reduced sentence for second-degree assault after he accepted a plea offer from prosecutors.

Cory Austin McConaghy, 24, was sentenced to 81 days and given credit for time already served during a hearing in Jefferson County Superior Court Jan. 7.

He was also given 12 months probation.

McConaghy was arrested by Port Townsend police Oct. 18 after a couple visiting the Seabreeze Gas Station Smoke Shop on Sims Way were approached by a bald man acting strange, according to a police report on the incident.

The strange man, later identified as McConaghy, began talking nonsense when the couple got out of their car. The man told his wife to stay in the car and lock the doors “as he could already tell McConaghy was going to be a problem.”

The man told police he thought McConaghy was under the influence of drugs, and recalled that he told McConaghy to back away and leave him alone.

McConaghy started apologizing and became more and more agitated and persistent as the other man tried to disengage. He said he took a defensive stance as McConaghy started to get into his personal space, and said McConaghy reached into his pocket and pulled out a rather large knife and said, “I’ll [expletive] gut you right now,” according to a police report.

The man said he then felt something sweep across the front of his hoody, and realized that McConaghy had just swung at him with the knife. He told police he yelled at McConaghy to leave him alone and put the knife away, and said McConaghy stopped the confrontation and left walking away toward the QFC grocery, yelling that he would gut the man and die for it if he had to.

Police found McConaghy near the parking lot to Safeway and he said he thought the man at the smoke shop was someone who had been following him.

He said that the man had threatened to kill him and had been following him for days, and admitted pulling out the knife and brandishing it for self-defense.

McConaghy also said he had gotten rid of the knife to avoid getting questioned by police, and also said he had cut off or tore off a blue shirt sleeve and put it on his head like a cap to hide that he was bald.

He later told police where he had left his backpack, which police found contained a knife, the shirt McConaghy had been wearing at the time of the incident, and several used hypodermic needles.

A video obtained from the smoke shop showed the incident happened as the victim had described it.

Conviction of second-degree assault has a standard sentencing range of six to 12 months. The prosecutor’s office said a reduced sentence was sought because the couple in the case wanted to see McConaghy get help, and an in-patient treatment date had already been set.

Scott Charlton, an attorney representing McConaghy, agreed that the victim did not want to pursue the matter and wanted McConaghy to get help.

McConaghy has already been receiving addiction treatment with Believe In Recovery while in Jefferson County Jail.

“I just want to take responsibility for my actions,” McConaghy told Superior Court Judge Keith Harper. “And try to focus on my sobriety and my recovery.”

McConaghy said he wanted to eventually get back to work, and take care of his family.

“I’m truly trying to change my life for the long run, not just the short run,” he said.

Harper recalled McConaghy had tried the drug court program in the past. McConaghy said he dropped out because he couldn’t think he could do it.

“This is not going to sound particularly sophisticated,” Harper said.

If he had a broken arm or some other medical problem, for example, the judge said he would go to doctor for treatment, or do physical therapy.

It’s the same with substance abuse or mental health issues.

“If you have those problems you go to the people who can help fix those for you. It’s just like going to a doctor for medical problems,” Harper said.

“I hope you’ll do that and work hard at that, so you can deal with those issues. So good luck,” he said.