VANCOUVER — The former wife of a Vancouver-area man accused of criminally harassing her says she hopes the legal process he's about to go through will give her enough time to change her identity and hide.
Desiree Capuano, who lives in Arizona, said she knows Patrick Fox won't stay behind bars forever and she must do what she can to protect herself while he is in custody.
"The only chance I have of having a normal life is to disappear," she said, her voice choked with emotion.
Fox is facing three charges, including criminal harassment and two firearms offences, and appeared briefly in a Vancouver court on Tuesday afternoon.
Wearing a red jump suit and with a greying beard and side-swept hair, Fox crossed his arms and stared at observers from the prisoner's box.
His bail hearing was rescheduled to Wednesday.
The Burnaby resident is alleged to have created a website aimed at destroying Capuano's reputation.
A sworn court indictment alleges Fox criminally harassed Capuano between January 2015 and May 2016 and he is alleged to have possessed a prohibited firearm between May 26 and June 17 of this year.
He is also alleged to have imported or exported a prohibited firearm on May 26 or May 27 of this year.
In an interview in February, Fox said he would never physically harm Capuano, but confirmed he created a website to cause "as much damage to her reputation and life as possible."
The site has posted private photos, her address and phone number and described her as a white supremacist, child abuser and drug addict.
Capuano, who has custody of the couple's son, alleges that the website has ruined job prospects for her and caused her constant fear and stress.
She said she was offered a job earlier this year that had a higher salary than her current position and full benefits, but the employer revoked the offer after seeing the website.
"It was perfect, and it was exactly what I wanted to do, but it's gone now," she said.
Fox's lawyer, David Hopkins, said when reached by phone that he could not comment on Capuano's allegations.
Earlier this year, B.C. Crown lawyers ruled a criminal harassment charge could not be laid against Fox, because of a lack of evidence that the woman had an "objective basis to fear for her safety.''
After charges were declined in February, B.C. Justice Minister Suzanne Anton said authorities could take another look at the case if further evidence surfaced.
Capuano said she is grateful that Crown lawyers have reversed course.
"It finally felt like the Crown understood the seriousness of this situation — finally — and was willing to do something about it," she said.
Capuano said she knows that Fox will eventually be released from custody, but knowing he is currently behind bars has does help her breathe a bit more easily.
"If he was actually sentenced and he went away and I was able to take control of my life again, I would finally have relief," she said.
"There's still a lot of damage that I have to fix but at least I would have the ability to start fixing it."
Capuano said she feels like her only choice is to change her name and move before Fox is released, and she's currently looking into how to do so.
