A Lyndora man was sentenced Thursday in county Common Pleas Court to 24 months probation after pleading guilty in two criminal cases, including one in which he attempted to start a fire in a Butler police station holding cell after he was arrested for punching his girlfriend.

George Thomas Honeycutt, 44, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of institutional vandalism and simple assault and was sentenced to two consecutive 12-month terms of probation, but was given credit for time served and paroled in a plea agreement. He also was ordered to continue receiving mental health treatment.

Felony charges of arson and aggravated assault and a summary charge of harassment, also filed by city police, were dismissed.

Honeycutt punched his girlfriend in the face July 31, 2020, in a home they shared on Zeigler Avenue, causing a bloody nose and bruise under her right eye, police said. She was diagnosed with a nasal fracture and facial bruises at Butler Memorial Hospital.

After he was arrested, Honeycutt tried to set fire to a blanket with a lighter he had on him in a holding cell, police said. Officers then placed him in another cell, where he removed his pants and urinated outside of the cell. His sentence included paying $10 restitution to city police.

In the second case, Honeycutt pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of forgery and a felony count of forgery was dismissed in the plea agreement. He was sentenced to 12 months of probation concurrent with the sentence in the other case.

City police filed the charges in July 2020, accusing him of altering a neighbor's check that he allegedly tried to use to pay his rent in March that year. Judge Timothy McCune handed down the sentence. Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Simon prosecuted the case. Honeycutt was represented by public defender Joseph Smith.