Alberta catalyst for Clare's Law wanted for more domestic assaults

A 52-year-old man with a history of assaulting women is wanted by RCMP for two separate domestic assaults.

Michael Richard Cole was convicted of brutally beating Dianne Denovan in 2016.

The two met through an online dating site and the assault happened about seven months into the relationship.

He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for the assault and was released in November 2019.

Denovan says she first learned of his dangerous past at Cole's parole hearing.

"I didn't find out until his parole hearing that he had ... prior assault charges," she said.

"The parole board specifically said they felt that was underreported. That he had many others."

The case was used to support implementing Clare's Law to Alberta on April 1, which allows people who are worried by their partner's behaviour to apply to search for violence-related criminal records.

It also helps put them in touch with the right community resources to help them recover and stay safe.

In the first five months after the implementation of Clare's Law on April 1, there were 226 applications to see a partner's history.

Police shared records in 102 of those cases.

Cole is wanted for uttering death threats and assault in incidents that took place in Cochrane in January and September of this year.

He is described as being 180 centimetres (5'11") tall and weighing 86 kilograms (190 lbs.) with grey hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Cochrane RCMP at 403-932-2211, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).