SIERRA VISTA — An Elfrida man was found guilty of assaulting another man in Hereford during a trial in Justice Court in Sierra Vista on Tuesday.

Joshawa Liest was charged with assault and disorderly conduct as a result of an incident involving Ryan Collett on the night of July 3 during a get-together at a residence located along Desert Tortoise Lane in Hereford.

Liest and Collett got into a disagreement. Liest testified Collett swung a piece of wood at him and broke his pinky finger, a claim Collett denied. Liest said he defended himself by pushing his left and right fists at Collett, causing him to fall off the porch.

Collett acknowledged he had been drinking beer, but said he was “not wasted.” He testified Liest hit him multiple times in the face and then struck him more times while he was on the ground, which Liest denied.

Judge Tim Dickerson, a justice of the peace, found Liest guilty of the assault charge. He pointed out that photos show Collett sustained injuries to both sides of his face. He said those types of injuries were not solely caused by falling and striking his head on a brick.

Dickerson indicated he may dismiss the disorderly conduct charge against Liest because it involved the same facts as the assault charge, but he did not make a final decision Tuesday. He scheduled a sentencing hearing for Dec. 30.

Liest was the victim of a shooting in August 2007 in Elfrida after a disagreement with his neighbor, Ronald Koch. Koch pleaded guilty in an agreement to attempting to commit aggravated assault using a deadly weapon and he was sentenced to two years in prison in August in Superior Court in Bisbee.

In that case, Koch’s defense attorney argued that Liest was a threatening and intimidating individual.

Koch claimed he shot Liest because he thought he was reaching behind his back for a gun.