A Philadelphia man was sentenced Tuesday to five to 12 years in a state prison for a 2025 attempted stabbing in Chester.
Lovell K. Blocker, 64, of the 300 block of South Broad Street previously entered an open guilty plea before Common Pleas Court Judge Deborah Krull to one count of aggravated assault.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Chester police Officer Pierce Gilsenan:
Police were dispatched to a residence at about 9 p.m. March 12, 2025, for a report of a domestic dispute involving a knife.
Blocker answered the door and was ordered outside. He refused. Gilsenan then handcuffed Blocker and put him inside a patrol vehicle.
Gilsenan then spoke to the victims inside, who reported that Blocker was intoxicated and ordered a clinical assistant to leave the home. When the assistant did not leave quickly enough, he retrieved a knife from the kitchen and tried to stab the individual.
The other victim knocked the knife from Blocker’s hand, and a struggle ensued on the floor. Blocker then went to get another knife from the kitchen as one of the victims locked themselves in a bedroom. Blocker was stabbing at the door to gain entry when police arrived.
Assistant District Attorney Hannah Wylesol attempted to contact the victim to attend the sentencing hearing by video Tuesday but was unsuccessful.
Wylesol said the victim did not intend to make a statement and was aware of the hearing. She sought a sentence of seven to 14 years, noting the victim had been traumatized by the event.
Defense counsel Ian Pulz said there was a wealth of mitigating factors in the case and sought a sentence of four to nine years.
Pulz noted Blocker had suffered significant trauma of his own, including watching his uncle kill his aunt and grandmother and attempt to kill his mother at a young age. His own father later shot him, Pulz said, reinforcing a lesson that domestic conflicts are handled with extreme violence.
While he understood the court had to punish the explosion, he said it should also recognize the fuse.
Blocker suffers from addiction issues and other medical conditions. When sober, Blocker is respectful and calm, but his judgment and restrain collapse when he is using substances, particularly crack cocaine, the attorney said.
Blocker gave a tearful apology to the court, though he recognized that did not undo the damage he had done or the fear he instilled in the victim.
“I don’t remember anything from that night,” Blocker said. “What I do remember is breaking down the door. But whether I remember any moment or not, I know what I did was wrong and I take full responsibility and accountability for my actions. There’s no excuse for what I did. I did a terrible thing. I regret what I did.”
Krull said she believed Blocker is remorseful and took his medical and other conditions into account when crafting her sentence.
The judge noted there were mitigating factors and did sentence Blocker below the standard range of 96-120 months, but she expressed concern that this was his 12th conviction, at least one of which appeared to include the same victim. Krull sad she hoped Blocker would learn from this case.
In addition to prison time, Blocker must submit a DNA sample to state police and comply with the rules and regulations governing parole. He was also given credit for time served back to his arrest date.