Local man pleads guilty in Aspen assault

ASPEN ” A local man pleaded guilty Monday to breaking into a North Forty home and assaulting an ex-girlfriend in June.

Kevin A. Gibson, 39, faces up to five years in jail and fines up to $105,000 for first-degree criminal trespass and third-degree assault convictions, both felonies.

He was expected to issue a plea on Friday but did not show up in court, leading to the issuance of warrants for his arrest. His lawyer, Lauren Maytin, said Gibson’s ride did not materialize on Friday and that he was stuck in Woody Creek without cell phone reception.

District Judge James Boyd accepted Gibson’s excuse, agreed to quash the new warrants and allow Gibson to plead to the charges as he would have done Friday.

Gibson was being tried in two cases, one concerning the incident on June 9, when he broke into the home in the North Forty neighborhood just west of Aspen, and assaulted a woman.

The second case stems from an alleged bond violation. Gibson is accused of having contacted a protected witness in the original case.

As part of the terms of the plea deal regarding the bond violation, Gibson agreed to take daily alcohol breath tests and attend three Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a week.

“When he’s sober, generally speaking, he does not present a danger,” prosecutor Gail Nichols said.

Police said Gibson broke into the homes of Caroline Pittman and Ted King, who both live on Narrow Way in the North Forty subdivision. He allegedly broke into Pittman’s home first and got into a fight with two unidentified males and one unidentified female in the home, according to police.

Charges were dropped regarding the break-in at Pittman’s home. However, Pittman reportedly fled next door to King’s home to hide, and Gibson followed her, broke in King’s door and fought with Pittman. A neighbor reportedly called for help, which brought Pitkin County deputies to the scene.

At one point Gibson was facing nine counts, which carried a potential sentence of 30 years in prison if he were convicted on all counts and given consecutive terms.

But Nichols cut that to five counts in late June, with the potential of 17 years in prison, although that was before she added the bond violation to the list of charges.

Gibson is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 4.