A 41-year-old man who was ordered to Larned after he was not found guilty of aggravated assault charges against law enforcement because the jury thought he suffered from a mental illness will have to stay at Larned for the foreseeable future. That was the ruling by District Judge Trish Rose Monday for Bradley Verstraete.

He was seeking relief believing the he has improved enough where he could function in public and wanted to be set free, but the judge wasn’t convinced after Dr. Stephanie Adam with Larned State Hospital testified that he’s still mentally ill. She testified that he suffers from a number of mental disorders, and while she interviewed him at the hospital, he had trouble staying on topic and still hears voices, and believes that he hears god.

Judge Rose told Verstraete that even though she believes he has made progress since be sent to Larned in August, she doesn’t feel that he’s at the point yet where he wouldn’t pose a danger to himself or others.

Verstraete reportedly threatened law enforcement officers with a machete when they responded to a concern for welfare case. There were two trials for the incident which occurred back on February 22, 2008 when police were called to a home at 726 East 1st, on the report of residents having trouble with Verstraete and he reportedly threatened four officers with the machete when the arrived at that home.

As the hearing was ending, he told the court that, “it was my home and that officers that night were wrong for what they did.”

Judge Rose explained to him that its not a life sentence, and that she’ll on occasion have to review his case, at least once a year, but could be even more.