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Woman charged with assaulting WBPD officers

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Newport Township man pleaded guilty Thursday to charges stemming from allegations he injured his girlfriend during a fight.</p><p>Police said the defendant sliced his own face with a razor blade in an attempt to frame his girlfriend in the fight.</p><p>Patrick M. Kulina, 31, appeared before Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count each of simple assault and filing a false report.</p><p>Prosecutors withdrew counts of strangulation and harassment.</p><p>Kulina was arrested in May after an altercation at the couple&#8217;s Old Newport Street apartment.</p><p>Kulina&#8217;s girlfriend told police that Kulina arrived at her place of work with her daughter, while drinking alcohol from a travel cup. He was denied entry to the building by security.</p><p>While the girlfriend was heading home, she spotted Kulina and offered him a ride.</p><p>Upon arriving at home, she told police, Kulina attacked her, struck her head off a counter and punched her in the head.</p><p>She allegedly fought back, punching him in the face causing a laceration near his eye as he strangled her.</p><p>She fled to a neighbor&#8217;s apartment.</p><p>When police arrived, Kulina denied he was drinking, but officers smelled alcohol on his breath. They also noticed a rolling pin and a bloody razor on the counter.</p><p>Kulina claimed the woman assaulted him, causing lacerations on his face, but officers then noticed the razor blade and the rolling pin were missing.</p><p>He later admitted to cutting himself with the blade in an attempt to have the woman arrested.</p><p>After Kulina pleaded guilty Thursday, Vough immediately sentenced to spend a year on probation.</p><p>He was ordered to have no adverse contact with either the victim or any of the witnesses. He also must maintain full-time employment.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_Patrick-Kulina-05222019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kulina </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_Patrick-Kulina-05222019.jpg</photo0><caption0>Kulina </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Man who sliced own face after argument with girlfriend pleads guilty to assault charge