A woman who admitted she shot her common-law husband while he lay sleeping on a couch in the couple's home on Aug. 4 was given a suspended prison sentence and ordered to serve 18 months probation.
Celia G. Syphers, 42, was sentenced Monday by 2nd District Judge Stanton Taylor. Syphers last month changed her plea of not guilty to guilty but mentally ill on the attempted-murder charge.Taylor also ordered the woman to continue treatment with the Weber County Mental Health Department, to abstain from drinking, to not have any weapons or alcohol in her house and to encourage her husband to participate in the mental health program.
Terry J. Neilson, 36, was shot once in the chest and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He told police that he was sleeping at the time of the shooting.
In seeking probation, defense attorney John Hutchinson told the judge that Syphers suffers from alcohol abuse and mental illness.
"She's probably going to be OK if she doesn't drink and she takes her medicine," Hutchinson said.
Taylor said he had some reservations about setting Syphers free because this wasn't the first time she had assaulted Neilson. Taylor said that she had also cut her common-law husband with a knife.
Taylor also said that he was concerned that she at some time may harm her children.
Taylor gave her a stern warning that if she started drinking again or failed to continue in the mental health program, he would put her in prison.