Facing a prison sentence for a third time, Steven Daves told a courtroom that living in “a world of drugs” had led him down a path of self-destruction.

Daves, a 38-year-old Oak Harbor resident, spoke at length about his experiences and his mistakes during his sentencing hearing in Island County Superior Court Wednesday. He told the judge that the crimes he’s committed show what he can do but not who he truly is.

Before sentencing him to prison for felony domestic abuse and unlawful possession of a firearm, Judge Carolyn Cliff told Daves it was a pleasure to hear him speak and urged him to hold onto the values he professed. She agreed with the joint recommendation from the prosecution and defense and sentenced him to 55.5 months in prison

“Half your life is still ahead of you,” she said.

It was a far cry from Daves’ behavior last August. He allegedly resisted arrested and created a “chaotic scene” when a U.S. Marshals Service task force that specializes in arresting violent fugitives came to Oak Harbor to find him, according to court documents. During his preliminary hearing before Cliff, he threw a table and repeatedly swore at her.

Daves apologized for his earlier behavior, saying he was “a mess” and thanked Cliff for being so understanding.

Under the terms of a plea bargain, Daves pleaded guilty to assault in the third degree — a domestic violence crime — and unlawful possession of a firearm. Last August, he held a gun to his girlfriend’s head and told her to “shut up” and “quit lying.” He also hit her in the face, causing her to bleed, and spit on her, according to court records.

An earlier case in which Daves was facing two felony domestic violence charges was dismissed. In that case, he was accused of strangling and punching a different woman when she wanted to leave him; she suffered a fractured nose and was referred to a specialist for an injured eye, according to court documents. The police report indicated that the woman was very frightened and reluctant to seek help.

In court, Safstrom said he agreed to dismiss the earlier case because the victim was uncooperative and he was never able to get in contact with her.

In his statement to the judge, Daves admitted he was a drug addict and described how he followed an older friend into a lifestyle of substance abuse when he was just a teenager. He admitted that his behavior became so extreme that his friends separated from him.

“I had become out of control,” he said. “I had become a monster.”

On the other hand, he described how he enjoys helping other people, from buying Girl Scout cookies to stopping to help people with their cars.

Under the terms of his sentence, Daves is barred for five years from contacting two women and a child who were named in court documents. He also was ordered to undergo an evaluation for treatment for a substance abuse disorder.