HOLLIDAYSBURG — An Altoona man who was stabbed nine times in a fight with his mother’s boyfriend in late 2019 has been sentenced to four years’ probation in exchange for guilty pleas to simple assault and reckless endangerment charges.

Blair County Judge Jackie Bernard accepted the pleas Thursday from Travis L. Swab, 27, who said he was taking responsibility for his actions in an Oct. 21, 2019, fight with Joseph S. Clemens, 57, East Freedom.

Altoona police, who responded to the fight at a residence on the 1500 block of Bell Avenue, found Swab was on the porch, bleeding profusely from stab wounds to the back of his head, chest, side and arms.

While Clemens was initially charged with attempted homicide, that charge was dropped in February when Clemens pleaded guilty to simple assault and reckless endangerment charges, also in exchange for a sentence with four years’ probation.

So Swab and Clemens are the victims of each other’s criminal charges, Bernard asked Thursday in an attempt to understand Swab’s proposed plea agreement.

Attorney Thomas M. Dickey, representing Swab, told Bernard that was correct and that neither victim is asking for restitution.

During a court proceeding in early February before Judge Daniel J. Milliron, Dickey questioned why Swab was being asked for $5,391 in restitution.

Clemens was transported to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh for treatment of injuries, including a stab wound to his hand that police said was incurred while Clemens was stabbing Swab.

In response to Dickey’s question, Milliron put Swab’s pending plea on hold, then negated Clemens’ plea rendered earlier in the day because Clemens had agreed to pay $2,500 in restitution to Swab.

In court on Thursday, Bernard was advised that Milliron had reinstated Clemens’ plea and sentence, minus the restitution.

“The parties have agreed that there’s to be no restitution,” Dickey said.

Altoona police said the fight developed after Clemens began berating his then-girlfriend, who was Swab’s mother. As the argument continued, police said Clemens is alleged to have presented an open folding knife, prompting Swab to retrieve a wooden club. As the two threatened each other, Swab reportedly tripped backward over a dog, then the fight became physical.

The negotiated pleas call for Swab and Clemens, while on probation, to undergo drug and alcohol, mental health and anger management evaluations and follow through with recommendations.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.