A judge has asked health officials to determine whether a Powell man alleged to have confined and beaten his wife in March understood the difference between right and wrong at the time.

Charged with five counts that include kidnapping and aggravated assault, Jack P. Weber, 33, pleaded “not guilty by reason of mental illness” during an Aug. 28 hearing in Park County’s District Court.

Weber is alleged to have beaten his wife over a period of days in March, with the injuries severe enough that at least one responding Powell police officer didn’t recognize the woman. When police tried to question Weber on the evening of March 18, he reportedly started a stand-off that lasted through the night.

After Weber’s plea, District Court Judge Steven Cranfill ordered the Wyoming State Hospital to evaluate Weber, in part to offer an opinion as to whether “at the time of the alleged criminal conduct, the defendant as a result of mental illness of deficiency, lacked substantial capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law.”

Wyoming law defines a mental illness or deficiency as “severely abnormal mental conditions that grossly and demonstrably impair a person’s perception or understanding of reality.”

Weber’s court-appointed attorney, Richard Hopkinson of Worland, wrote in an April filing that his client has a severe anxiety disorder, severe depression, significant problems with his memory and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other problems.

Weber is charged with four felonies — two counts of aggravated assault and battery, kidnapping, strangulation of a household member — and a misdemeanor count of interfering with an emergency call. Weber’s wife told police the attack began when Weber accused her of exchanging phone messages with other people.

Weber allegedly strangled her until she passed out, punched her and put a knife to her throat, Powell Police Officer Jason Pellegrino wrote of the woman’s account in a charging affidavit. Weber also took her cell phone and watched her so she couldn’t call police or anyone else, the woman told Pellegrino.

She said Weber acted paranoid during the days-long incident, at times covering her mouth and nose to keep her quiet when he thought people were walking by their North Gilbert Street home, Pellegrino wrote.

When police tried to question Weber on March 18, he yelled, “Come get some!,” refused to come outside and indicated that he wanted to be killed by police, the police department has said. Weber ultimately fell silent and officers broke down the door, finding him unconscious on the morning of March 19.

Hopkinson has said in court filings that Weber was involuntarily committed to the Wyoming State Hospital after the incident — having been deemed to be a threat to himself or others as a result of mental illness.

Circuit Court Judge Bruce Waters found Weber was competent on Aug. 28, allowing the case to proceed to District Court.

Weber’s bond has been set at $250,000 cash and he remains in the Park County Detention Center. Hopkinson said the allegations against Weber are “likely to keep him in jail for some time.”

A trial is tentatively set to begin on Feb. 4 of next year.