A man has been criminally charged with misdemeanor offenses for allegedly stalking and beating his former girlfriend to force her to sign an order to dismiss a stalking order she had filed against him, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune.
The man, a 42 year-old Salt Lake City resident, has been charged with retaliation against a witness or victim, stalking and assault, unlawful detention and threat of violence.
The two had dated for approximately one year before ending the relationship in 2011. But since the break up the man, according to court records, has been stalking the woman, demanding money via e-mail, threatened her in text messages, telephoning her up to 70 times per day, following her and subjecting her to physical assaults.
This past February, after calling the police several times, the woman obtained a temporary civil stalking order against him.
However, on March 1, when the woman was in the midst of a move – in an attempt to keep where she resided secret from the man – he raced toward her as she exited her car. Before she could get back in the car, and lock herself there, the man threatened to kill her.
According to court records the man told the woman, “If you don’t give me your keys, I’ll snap your neck.”
During the next few minutes, with the woman trying to fight off the man, he was able to snatch away her car keys. He then allegedly slammed her head into the steering wheel and dragged her from the car – by the hair.
The court records state that in order to get the woman out of her car the man was “pulling out a clump of hair in the process.”
The woman was able to flag down a passing car for help by waving her hands and honking her horn. The driver, when he asked what was wrong, was told my the man that the woman was “crazy.”
Still attempting to get away the woman told the man that she would sign the papers – showing blood smears from the assault – if only he would allow the driver of the other car to take her keys.
The man told the woman that he was aware that she had called the police on him before, and, if she chose to do so again, he said that he would “track (her) down for as long as it takes and kill (her).”
Then the man got in his truck and left the scene.
He later turned in the motion to dismiss the stalking documents, still smeared with blood, into the 3rd District Court.
Besides the dismissal of the stalking document, the man was also able to obtain the woman’s signature that would succinctly retract “any statements, written or verbal” that she had made about him being a threat to her. A final document, that he also forced her to sign, stated that she agreed to “voluntarily terminate any proceedings official or otherwise.”
If you are facing one or more criminal charges you would be best served if you contact a criminal defense attorney. Only a qualified criminal defense attorney will be able to help you in court.
