Woodstock man accused of threatening woman with crowbar in her home pleads guilty to burglary

A Woodstock man who was accused of entering a Crystal Lake home and threatening a woman with a crowbar pleaded has guilty to burglary, according to an amended indictment filed in McHenry County court.

Joseph Dean Gibson, 32, was sentenced to one day of conditional discharge and 180 days in jail. He was initially charged in the case with more serious Class X offense of home invasion with a dangerous weapon, as well as a Class 1 felony residential burglary, criminal trespass to a residence, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal damage to property, according to the criminal complaint. Those charges were dismissed, the order signed by Judge Tiffany Davis shows.

The 180-day jail sentence was considered served because Gibson is required to fulfill half that time, and he had already been in the county jail 142 days, the order shows.

At 2 a.m. March 31, 2022, police said, Gibson entered the home knowing the resident was there, according to the complaint, which said he was armed with a crowbar and “threatened to smash [her] skull in.”

Davis noted in the order that the offense was conducted due to circumstances not likely to recur and Gibson’s character and attitude indicate he is not likely to commit another crime. She also noted that he successfully completed McHenry County‘s specialty court program.

In 2022, Gibson was accepted into the program which includes mental health, drug, DUI and domestic violence courts. The program lasts 18 to 30 months. The duration depends “on the defendant’s level of stabilization, progress, and compliance,” the courts’ website said. “In return for the commitment and hard work, not only do the defendants gain access to mental health treatment services and support which can be life changing, successful completion of the program often results in case dismissal or a reduction of charges.”

Participants must follow a number of rules, including regularly meeting with the specialty court members and probation, attending substance abuse and mental health counseling and refraining from ingesting alcohol or illegal substances, the consent order for the program said.