HAVERHILL - A 33-year-old Littleton man has been handed a stiff prison sentence for stabbing a teenager in that town last year.

Jusiah Oddis, who appeared for sentencing this week in Grafton County Superior Court in North Haverhill, could spend up to 12 years in the New Hampshire State Prison.

Following a two-day trial in September, a jury found Oddis guilty of first-degree assault for using a 15-inch knife with a nine-inch blade to stab Jaison Cryans, 17, on Sept. 20, 2011, "causing serious bodily injury to his arm and/or chest cavity," according to Littleton police.

Judge Timothy J. Vaughan, who presided at the trial, sentenced Oddis - who had been free on a $15,000 bond - to six-to-12 years in prison on the assault count. He could have received as much as 15 years for the Class A felony.

Jurors also convicted Oddis on a charge of criminal mischief for damaging a Littleton police cruiser following his arrest, including kicking out a rear window. The jury returned a not-guilty verdict on an additional count of first-degree assault.

Vaughan this week issued a suspended sentence on the criminal mischief count, but ordered Oddis to pay restitution to the town of Littleton for the damage he did to the cruiser.

Littleton police arrested Oddis the day of the stabbing after they received several 911 calls at about 8:45 a.m. reporting an altercation at Parker Village that involved a knife.

"It was determined there had been an ongoing dispute between Oddis and the injured party," police said in a news release they issued at the time.

Assistant Grafton County Attorney Jack Bell prosecuted Oddis, who was represented by attorney James Brooks of the New Hampshire Public Defender's Office in Orford.

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