BRANCH COUNTY — After a daylong preliminary examination on Feb. 2, District Judge Brent Weigle said there is enough evidence to proceed with a trial for a 31-year-old Jackson man who faces two counts of attempted murder after a Jan. 2 stabbing.

Dustin Sprague is charged with two counts of attempted murder, one count of first-degree home invasion and an added count of felonious assault.

More:Jackson man charged with assault, home invasion after attack on two men

At a preliminary exam, the prosecution must show the district court judge that a crime has taken place and that the accused is more likely than not the person who has committed the crime.

After proceedings Thursday, Weigle called the incident on Burlington Road at the northern county line “a savage attack” that would call for an increase in Sprague's $1 million bond.

Public defender John Vincent asked for a reduction, admitting Sprague likely could not make any bond.

Prosecutor Zack Stempien said Sprague has a record for assaultive behavior, including a previous conviction for criminal sexual conduct.

Weigle said the 4-year-old son of Edward Guilford who witnessed his father stabbed in the chest and torso “is never going to be right.”

Guilford is now confined to a wheelchair after several medical procedures, including open heart surgery.

Curtis White, the man Sprague was looking for, was stabbed in the cheek; he received 12 stitches to close that wound.

Video from surveillance cameras at the home showed much of what took place during the incident, which occurred shortly after noon that day.

Shawna Honyoust, the mother of the boy and fiancee of Guilford, testified Sprague kicked in the door, put a hammer to her face, and said, “I just killed your husband. I'm going to kill your cousin (White).”

White was coming out of a bedroom, opened the window, jumped out and ran. Sprague followed, holding a knife and chased him. Sprague then slashed White in the face.

Shaun Bray was in the house and ran to help White. The two men wrestled Sprague to the ground and held him down. Honyoust came outside, took her son to the garage, picked up a heavy metal rack and hit Sprague until police arrived.

“We were fighting for our lives,” White testified.

White testified he knew Sprague when they served three years in prison together. After release, White hired Sprague to work for him in his tree service. White fired Sprague two years ago after Sprague lied to him about personal matters, White testified.

White never asked and didn’t know why Sprague would want to kill him, he said. 

Guilford had only met Sprague once or twice, Honyoust testified. She purchased the home from White and his father four years ago. She said White still used part of the barn for his business.

The video showed Guilford and the boy walking outside to the barn, when Sprague came out and stabbed Guilford, then hit him in the head with a hammer.

The video showed it was a minute later when Sprague kicked in the front door to attack White.

Earlier that morning, Robby Robertson testified he found Sprague walking into his East High Street home in Union City looking for White. Finally convinced White did not live there, Sprague gave Robertson his name and telephone number and left. Sprague told Robertson “he had a vendetta” with White.

Sprague will face a home invasion charge for entering the Union City home.

Although no testimony was presented about statements Sprague made to police while being treated at ProMedica Coldwater Emergency Department, Vincent alluded to a self-defense claim.

Sprague told officers he first saw White in the yard who told him he was going inside to get a gun.

That is when Sprague went to the barn to arm himself with a folding knife and hammer.

He came from the barn to attack Guilford who had walked outside with his son to the barn.

White said he never confronted Sprague before he broke into the house. He claimed he did not own a gun.

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Weigle said after hearing the testimony, there was no motive given.

“There were a lot of questions raised, but the motive is not an element” needed to be proven in these crimes.

Both cases will be set for arraignment in Branch County Circuit Court.

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR.