Patrick Fox was arrested about three weeks ago in Washington state. Fox, a Canadian, has a criminal record in the U.S. and had previously been deported back to Canada. He was found to have entered the United States illegally and was deported again last Thursday. On Friday, he appeared in court after having been charged with criminal harassment and two gun-related offences.
Fox’s wife, Desiree Capuano, lives in Arizona with the couple’s teenage son. CBC reports on Jan. 11, 2015, Fox allegedly sent his ex-wife an email saying he would do what he could to make her suffer. He reportedly wrote he would do “everything in my power and capabilities” to make her as miserable as possible, hopefully to the point she would commit suicide.
Fox then created a website called “The Dirty.” In it he accused his ex of sleeping with men for money, using drugs, and abusing children. None of it was true but Capuano began to suffer from depression and contacted the RCMP last summer.
The RCMP investigated but in January of this year, the B.C. Crown Attorney’s office refused to lay charges. Part of the reason was the fact Capuano lived in Arizona and prosecutors also felt as Fox had made no threats to his ex-wife, no crime had been committed.
CBC continued with the story and got opinions from legal experts that Fox should be charged. This was based upon Fox allegedly saying in an interview that if it was legal, he would kill his ex-wife.
After the Crown’s office declined to prosecute, Suzanne Anton, the province’s justice minister, asked them to take another look and formal charges were laid on Friday when Fox first appeared in a Canadian courtroom. In addition to the charge of criminal harassment, he faces one count of possession of a prohibited weapon (a gun) and knowingly importing or exporting a firearm.
Capuano is relieved and thankful prosecutors have charged Fox. In addition to depression, the website cost her jobs and friends.
Fox was remanded in custody and appeared in a Vancouver courtroom for a bail hearing yesterday. The hearing resumes today.
