Opinion ID: 1909621
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Violent behavior

Text: After the August 22nd incident, the victim entered into a relationship with John Tricou, whom she eventually married. Upon learning that his daughter had become engaged, defendant made threatening phone calls to Mr. Tricou. On August 31, when defendant encountered his daughter and Mr. Tricou together in Colchester, he became violent and physically assaulted his daughter by punching her in the face and attempting to pull her engagement ring off her finger, pummeled her car with his fists, and asked her if she wanted to die. At that time, he also threatened Mr. Tricou, saying, stay away or you'll die, and attacked his car by smashing the windshield with his fist and putting dents in the side panels. Defendant then followed his daughter from the scene and rammed his truck into the back of her car. These actions were admissible as relevant to portray a man consumed with jealousy and corroborate the daughter's allegations that her father treated her as an object for his sexual gratification. In other words, this evidence was relevant to show that defendant had a proprietary sexual interest in the victim, his actions being consistent with those of a jealous lover. See State v. Giroux, 151 Vt. 361, 366-67, 561 A.2d 403, 407 (1989) (holding that evidence of bad acts is admissible to show defendant's state of mind).