A Saugus man will serve up to five years in state prison for stabbing an off-duty bartender during a failed robbery at a Revere gas station last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

SCOTT L. PARADIS (D.O.B. 5/28/87) pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of armed assault with intent to rob, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery for the March 18, 2010, incident on Broadway.

Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Walsh of Conley’s Senior Trial Unit recommended that he serve a five-year prison term with three years of probation upon his release; Suffolk Superior Court Judge Carol Ball sentenced him to two to five years in prison and adopted the probation recommendation.

Had the case proceeded to trial, Walsh would have introduced evidence and testimony to prove that the victim, a 26-year-old Saugus man, was waiting in line at Ray’s Sunoco at about 3:20 a.m. after getting off work in Boston. Paradis was ahead of him in line.

Walsh would have shown that the victim produced a roll of money – his tips from work – to buy a pack of cigarettes. Paradis saw that roll, which was comprised mainly of one-dollar bills, and demanded it.

When the victim refused to hand it over, prosecutors would have demonstrated, Paradis produced a folding knife and claimed to be a member of the Shirley Avenue Bloods gang. As the victim backed away, Paradis stabbed him in the abdomen. When the victim ran to his car, Paradis followed him and continued to demand his money until the occupants of a white Audi called him off. Paradis entered that car, which drove away.

The victim got the license plate number of the car and gave it to the gas station attendant with the instruction to call police. The victim then drove himself to Whidden Memorial Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.

“It’s incredible that he managed to note that plate number and then drive himself to the hospital,” Conley said. “He kept his cool and showed great presence of mind even while bleeding heavily from a potentially life-threatening injury.”

The gas station attendant relayed the plate number to Revere Police. Detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division later spoke with the registered owner of that car, whose daughter was driving it early that morning.

After additional investigation and interviews, Revere Police learned that Paradis had contacted that driver, an 18-year-old Saugus resident, prior to the stabbing and asked for a ride to buy a blunt. The young woman and her friend picked Paradis up at his Thistle Road home and drove him to Ray’s Sunoco.

While waiting for Paradis, the pair saw him fighting with the victim and told him to get in the car. At the time, they were not aware of the stabbing. Both identified Paradis from a photograph, as did the victim, and Revere Police arrested the defendant on March 26.

Michael Schultz was the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Paradis was represented by attorney Janet Mcnab.