PORTLAND – A Bath man who ran down two people with his car in May 1999 has been sentenced to prison.

A judge imposed a six-year prison sentence last week but suspended all but a year for Eric Larsen. A defense lawyer says Larsen, 47, will be released in about nine months because of time he already spent in jail.

Larsen was accused of running the two people down after an argument. They were not seriously hurt.

Larsen pleaded guilty in December 1999 to two counts of elevated aggravated assault and driving while under the influence of alcohol.

The prosecution argued that Larsen should serve three years, but defense lawyer Ronald Regan said the lower sentence was appropriate because his client suffered from mental illness caused by brain trauma.