Truck driver in recent kidnapping case changes plea to ‘insanity’

A truck driver accused of holding his wife hostage while evading police in his semi truck changed his ‘not guilty’ plea on Tuesday. 

According to 9 ABC WCPO, truck driver Patrick Berthelot’s attorneys have filed a new motion, stating that their client is unfit to stand trial and have amended his plea to  “not guilty by reason of insanity.”

Berthelot has been charged with multiple counts of felony assault, one count of kidnapping, and failure to comply with a police order following the incident on July 18th, during which he evaded police in his truck, left his injured wife on the interstate, and held himself at knife-point. 

This is Berthelot’s third run-in with the law. Just last year he was indicted in Georgia for aggravated assault against his current wife. Additionally, back in 2012 he was charged with attempted murder in Alabama against a different woman, described as his girlfriend. The murder charge was dismissed and Berthelot was given probation after pleading guilty to domestic violence. 

A conference to schedule Berthelot’s current case is planned for August 18th at 8:30 a.m. He is currently being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center on a $275,000 bond.