CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A judge has agreed that a man accused of stabbing another man 24 times should not be serving home confinement two doors down from the alleged victim.

Assistant Prosecutor Fred Giggenbach said Eugene Lewis Mills, 45, was scared to be living so close to the man police arrested for his attack. Mills was stabbed in his East End apartment in March, and Jonathan Lee Parker, 25, was arrested and charged with attempted murder. He was indicted by a grand jury this month.

Giggenbach told Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom, "I'm concerned about potential retaliation. This victim was stabbed 24 times. I think there is a serious concern about the defendant being so close to the victim."

The assistant prosecutor motioned behind him to Mills, who was in the courtroom.

"He's extremely afraid of the defendant. He's terrified, really," Giggenbach said. "This man nearly lost his life."

Bloom agreed and ordered Parker to be placed at South Central Regional Jail until other arrangements can be made for home confinement as he awaits trial.  Parker is also facing charges of malicious wounding, first-degree robbery, breaking and entering, third time shoplifting and possession of a stolen vehicle.

He pleaded not guilty Wednesday to all charges.

Mills was beaten and stabbed in the middle of the night in his second-floor apartment at 1412 Jackson St. Four hours after being attacked, he made his way downstairs and asked a neighbor to call 911.

When police arrived, they found Mills lying on the sidewalk outside the residence and blood splattered all over the porch, front door and sidewalk.

Mills told police Parker came to rob him. Parker was arrested in the East End shortly afterward. He posted $100,000 bond and was placed on home confinement.

As Parker was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom Wednesday, one woman cried out and fled the room, and a man rushed forward to hug him.

Also in court Wednesday:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A judge has agreed that a man accused of stabbing another man 24 times should not be serving home confinement two doors down from the alleged victim.

Assistant Prosecutor Fred Giggenbach said Eugene Lewis Mills, 45, was scared to be living so close to the man police arrested for his attack. Mills was stabbed in his East End apartment in March, and Jonathan Lee Parker, 25, was arrested and charged with attempted murder. He was indicted by a grand jury this month.

Giggenbach told Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom, "I'm concerned about potential retaliation. This victim was stabbed 24 times. I think there is a serious concern about the defendant being so close to the victim."

The assistant prosecutor motioned behind him to Mills, who was in the courtroom.

"He's extremely afraid of the defendant. He's terrified, really," Giggenbach said. "This man nearly lost his life."

Bloom agreed and ordered Parker to be placed at South Central Regional Jail until other arrangements can be made for home confinement as he awaits trial.  Parker is also facing charges of malicious wounding, first-degree robbery, breaking and entering, third time shoplifting and possession of a stolen vehicle.

He pleaded not guilty Wednesday to all charges.

Mills was beaten and stabbed in the middle of the night in his second-floor apartment at 1412 Jackson St. Four hours after being attacked, he made his way downstairs and asked a neighbor to call 911.

When police arrived, they found Mills lying on the sidewalk outside the residence and blood splattered all over the porch, front door and sidewalk.

Mills told police Parker came to rob him. Parker was arrested in the East End shortly afterward. He posted $100,000 bond and was placed on home confinement.

As Parker was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom Wednesday, one woman cried out and fled the room, and a man rushed forward to hug him.

Also in court Wednesday:

- Mark Kevin Swoope, 48, of Cross Lanes, pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl multiple times in his home. His trial is set for Oct. 6.

Swoope is free on $100,000 bond. Authorities say he is a family friend of the victim, and Bloom asked for assurance that he does not have contact with the girl.

- A former youth pastor was arraigned before Kanawha Circuit Judge Irene Berger. Timothy C. Edmonds, 36, was arrested after a 17-year-old girl alleged he took her to a house near Chesapeake Apostolic Church and sexually abused her in 2006.

The girl's family has filed a lawsuit against Edmonds and also against the church's pastor, P.D. Priddy, saying Priddy and the church knew of Edmonds' "sexually deviant behavior at a previous church."

Edmonds pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was indicted by a grand jury this month.

- Jeremy Matthew Moore, 28, was arraigned on charges of malicious wounding, kidnapping, attempted first-degree robbery, burglary and domestic battery. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and is scheduled to be tried Oct. 27.

Moore asked Berger to fire his public defense attorney, John Sullivan. Moore is being held in South Central Regional Jail and contends Sullivan hasn't visited or called often enough to confer with him about his case.

Berger refused, saying Sullivan was a competent, effective and aggressive attorney.

- John Elson Withrow, 52, pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted bank robbery. Withrow was arrested in connection with an attempted robbery at a St. Albans branch of City National Bank.

Police are investigating that robbery in connection with similar robberies at the Charleston City National Bank on Kanawha Boulevard and other robberies at the St. Albans branch.

Withrow is set to go to trial Oct. 27.

Contact writer Cheryl Caswell at cher...@dailymail.com or 304-348-4832.