B.C. man waged war of harassment: Ex-wife
TRIAL: Woman says ex-husband called her a ‘terrible parent’
An Arizona woman says she was so frustrated by her ex-husband’s emails and website posts that she considered giving up custody of her son in a bid to bring an end to what she considered a campaign of harassment.
During her testimony Tuesday, Desiree Capuano broke down in tears several times as she described the effect of the emails sent to her by Patrick Fox, also known as Richard Riess, who has pleaded not guilty to criminal harassment and possession of firearms at a location where he was not authorized to do so.
Court has heard that during the time of the emails and website posts, the couple was engaged in a bitter custody dispute over their son.
From January 2015 to May 2016, Fox, 43, sent Capuano a series of allegedly abusive emails and created a website that the Crown claims was aimed at destroying her life.
Capuano, 36, testified she went to court several times and contacted police in B.C., where Fox lived, and the United States, in a bid to have the website shut down — all to no avail.
She was fearful for her safety and believed that Fox, who had been deported from the United States, had found a way to come back.
Asked by Crown counsel Mark Myhre to summarize the effect of the emails, Capuano said she felt isolated, “beat up,” powerless and frustrated.
“It’s like he had worked it out so that nothing he did he could get into trouble for,” Capuano told the jury. “I was losing jobs, I was losing friends.”
Myhre asked her if she contemplated giving up her son, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban imposed by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Heather Holmes.
“I contemplated it, yes. But I knew that even if I had, I knew it wouldn’t stop, he wouldn’t stop.”
Capuano said that she had more ideas of how to put an end to the alleged harassment, including getting a name change and “trying to disappear” so that Fox could not locate her.
“You haven’t done that?” asked Myhre.
“I don’t want to run,” said Capuano. “I don’t want to hide. I just want it to stop.”
Tuesday was the second day of direct testimony for Capuano, who was asked by the Crown to comment on a number of the emails and website posts.
The jury was shown photos posted on the website created by Fox, which depicted a number of people including Capuano, her then-partner and a second son of Capuano’s from another relationship.
Capuano told the jury that the photos, which she considered to be private, were a sign of the intention of Fox to go after her other child, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban.
“This scared me so much because that’s public,” she said of the website postings, which also included photos of her house and a map of where she lived.
She said her other child was 12 years old at time and had done nothing to deserve punishment, adding that she discussed with others the possibility of disappearing so she could protect her son.
Capuano also criticized an email from Fox that said he wanted to add an intimate picture of her on the website, with him saying he was prepared to hire someone to have sex with her and claiming there was nothing illegal about his plan.
Capuano told the jury that the couple’s son was a “constant” source of contention, with Fox calling her an “idiot” and a “terrible parent” and trying to undermine her relationship with the boy.
Court heard about one email in which Fox told Capuano he wanted to make life so miserable for her that she would commit suicide.
Capuano said while she never contemplated suicide, there were many times she questioned whether she had the strength to keep up and whether she would get her life back.
Capuano’s cross-examination is expected to begin Wednesday.