A 49-year-old New Providence Township man pleaded guilty but mentally ill Friday to stabbing his wife repeatedly with scissors and fighting with state police and medics.

Barry Scott Wallace faces at least 8 years in state prison for the Jan. 19, 2006, violent attack at Southland Mobile Home Park.

Wallace is bipolar and a methamphetamine addict. He spent nine days at Lancaster General Hospital's mental health unit before being discharged three days before he attacked his wife, troopers and medics.

After leaving the hospital, Wallace refused to take prescription medication and became delusional. He was convinced his wife had poisoned him.

Wallace apologized Friday during a hearing before Lancaster County Judge David Ashworth.

"I'm sorry to the EMTs, state police and my wife," Wallace said. "I'm very, very sorry. I don't know what else to say."

Ashworth questioned whether Wallace was mentally ill or high on methamphetamine.

Defense attorney Mark Wassman told Ashworth the combination of mental illness and drug use set Wallace off.

"He has a mental illness, and the meth use exasperates the mental illness," Wassman said. "I think they are inexplicably intertwined."

Assistant District Attorney Susan Ellison agreed with Wassman.

"The defendant has a history of bipolar and was treated at Lancaster General Hospital in 2000 and 2001," Ellison said. "He also was involved in a motorcycle accident, which resulted in a head injury."

Wallace stabbed his wife, Diane Wallace, 48, about 12 times in the bathtub of their mobile home at 12 Tyler Drive. She suffered two collapsed lungs, wounds to her head, neck and back, Ellison said.

State police Trooper Kelly Osborne-Filson found Mrs. Wallace outside the mobile home with stab wounds.

A neighbor had called 911 at 2:29 p.m. after witnessing Mrs. Wallace flee the trailer "screaming that her ribs were broke and that her husband had stabbed her," according to court documents.

As Osborne-Filson tried to help Mrs. Wallace at the scene, Mr. Wallace emerged from the home and said he was the one who had been stabbed.

Mr. Wallace attacked Osborne-Filson as she tried to handcuff him, police said.

After being put into an ambulance, Mr. Wallace pulled out an intravenous-fluids tube and fought with medic Richard Miller.

Trooper Gesuele Burello was following the ambulance. He tried to restrain Mr. Wallace, who was bleeding.

Medics Krista VonKroge and Erich Broome arrived in a second ambulance and joined the struggle.

Mr. Wallace pleaded guilty but mentally ill to attempted homicide and two counts of aggravated assault.

Ashworth could sentence Wallace to 6 to 60 years in prison for the attempted homicide and 22 to 36 months for each aggravated assault. Wallace is in county prison awaiting a sentencing hearing that could be scheduled in March.

Brett Lovelace's e-mail address is blovelace@lnpnews.com.