Plea hearing for man accused of stabbing wife rescheduled a second time

The plea hearing for a Shawnee man accused of stabbing his wife twice was pushed back Friday for the second time.

NavinKumar Patel, 46, was arrested in late June 2015. A felony charge of attempted first-degree murder was filed against him.

Patel is accused of stabbing his wife in the abdomen at Lawrence’s Super 8 Motel, 515 McDonald Drive, which he owns. His wife was transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital with 2-centimeter stab wounds, according to an affidavit filed in Douglas County District Court. She was later released from the hospital.

In past court appearances Patel, a native of India, required a translator to understand the proceedings. Initially, his plea hearing was scheduled for Jan. 29, but the date was rescheduled because an interpreter was not available on that day.

The prosecution requested Friday’s hearing to be rescheduled; further information was not immediately available.

Patel’s plea hearing is now scheduled for 3 p.m. Feb. 19.