Lawrence woman pleads not guilty to aggravated battery after allegedly striking woman with brandy bottle

A 22-year-old Lawrence woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in connection with an Aug. 5 disturbance in which she allegedly hit another woman on the head with a brandy bottle and stabbed her with an unknown object.

Keshia Falcon is set to stand trial Nov. 10 and is in the Douglas County Jail on $10,000 bond.

Prosecutors allege that Falcon stabbed Sherry Averitt, 38, of Lawrence, in the arm at Averitt’s home in the 2500 block of Redbud Lane.

Lawrence police spokesman Sgt. Trent McKinley said Averitt told police that Falcon approached her home early the morning of Aug. 5 and knocked on the door. When Averitt saw Falcon and attempted to close the door, Falcon pushed her way inside and attacked Averitt, including hitting her on the head with a bottle and stabbing her in the arm.

Prosecutors initially alleged that Falcon used a bottle or “a sharp object” to stab Averitt, but during Wednesday’s hearing it was established that the bottle of Paul Masson brandy did not break when Falcon hit Averitt with it, so it could not have been used in the alleged stabbing.

According to the affidavit for Falcon’s arrest, Averitt told police that after Falcon struck her with the bottle and stabbed her, Falcon said, “That’s what you get,” and left.

Averitt said in court Wednesday that she suffered a one-inch wound from the stabbing, but did not know what Falcon used to stab her. She also said she sustained a large “bump” on her head, nausea and a headache from the bottle’s blow.

Falcon’s attorney, Clinton Lee, sought to have the case against her discharged because the prosecution could not establish what weapon was used in the stabbing. Douglas County District Judge Michael J. Malone ruled that the case should proceed.