PARIS – A Jay man said Friday that he was innocent of a stabbing committed last May.

“I didn’t do it,” said 39-year-old Dwight Knox, who called the Sun Journal on Friday. “And I should have fought it.”

Knox pleaded no contest to felony aggravated assault Thursday in Oxford County Superior Court. The plea dismissed charges of attempted murder, elevated aggravated assault, burglary, violation of a protection order and violation of conditions of release.

Knox was arrested after police accused him in the May 14 stabbing of his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend, Tony Leonard, who was wounded in the neck. Knox said Friday that he was home sleeping when the crime occurred and chose to plead at the advice of his lawyer. He was sentenced to serve 14 days of a three-year prison sentence, and was released due to time served after his arrest.

Assistant District Attorney Joe O’Connor said there were difficulties in prosecution, including Leonard choosing the wrong person from an eight-man lineup after the stabbing, and his own criminal history.

On Thursday, O’Connor said witnesses in a trial would have said Knox had expressed a dislike for black people, especially Leonard. Knox disputed the allegation.

“I don’t hate black people,” Knox said. “I don’t care much for anybody. I’m not involved with the KKK or anything.”

Knox also expressed his concern about possible vigilantism due to his address being printed, saying a mother and her young son also live at the residence.

“I just don’t want no more trouble,” Knox said. “I’m all set with it. I ain’t been in trouble since my son was born.”

Knox said he was abused as a child and does not use violence except in self-defense.

“I’ve been through a lot in my life,” he said. “I’m just trying to live my life and help raise my two beautiful kids and move on.”

“It was a long-shot case to get a conviction,” O’Connor said Friday. “There were a lot of problems from our standpoint. On the other hand, it’s the kind of case where if he had gotten convicted he would have gotten a much, much greater sentence.”

Knox’s probation officer told O’Connor that Knox had done fairly well while on probation in the past, O’Connor said.

“His probation officer told me afterward that he was on probation for several years and he’d done OK,” O’Connor said. “So hopefully he’ll do OK this time.”