CASSOPOLIS — Charles Love doesn’t consider himself a violent person.
But his criminal record would suggest otherwise, according to Cass County Circuit Court Judge Michael Dodge.
Dodge sentenced the Dowagiac man to a year in jail for domestic violence, malicious destruction of property and bribing/intimidating a witness offenses.
In an altercation with a woman in December, Love pushed and choked her. He also destroyed her cell phone so she couldn’t contact police. She fled to a relative’s house and called the police from there.
When police arrived, Love fled. After he had been arrested, he called the victim from jail, encouraging her to not testify against him, which led to the bribing/intimidating a witness charge.
Prosecutor Victor Fitz characterized Love as a “career bully” and a “thug,” citing two previous domestic violence cases.
In one of the cases, he threatened to kill the woman and her baby with a gun.
“He’s definitely earned the title of bully, intimidator and assailant,” Fitz said.
For his part, Love said he was not a violence person but admitted to having an “anger problem.”
“I’m not seriously hurting anybody,” he said. “I’m not putting people in the hospital or anything.”
Dodge wasn’t buying it.
“I know you say you’re not a violent person but you have a past record that shows you have been in the past,” he said.
Still Dodge sentenced Love to jail, not prison, so he could participate in anger management classes and work toward his high school diploma.
The victim requested that the no contact order be lifted.
Fitz indicated it was unfortunate she is still “under his spell.”
“She’ll have to learn the hard way. That’s too bad,” Dodge said.