Man pleads in stabbing of NE Pa. priest

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A northeastern Pennsylvania man has been convicted of aggravated assault and burglary after pleading no contest in the stabbing of a sleeping priest while high on bath salts.

The Times-Tribune of Scranton says 27-year-old Ryan Foley of Scranton entered the plea today in Lackawanna County Court.

Authorities say Foley broke into the monastery at St. Ann’s Basilica in March 2011 and stabbed the Rev. Francis Landry, who was treated for cuts on his face and hand.

Foley told police that he and a friend had been snorting bath salts, a synthetic drug known to induce violent behavior.

Defense attorney Thomas Sundmaker said the drugs left his client with no memory of the assault. He said he will cite Foley’s lack of a previous record in seeking mercy in sentencing.