Calgary man who uttered threats to 911 dispatcher found not guilty

The Calgary Courts Centre pictured in Calgary, Monday, May 6, 2024.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

An Alberta court has acquitted a Calgary man who called 911 and told the dispatcher about his desire to kill his ex-wife's new partner.

Ryan Patmore was accused of uttering threats and failing to obey a court order after calling 911 several times on Nov. 17, 2023.

During those phone calls, which the accused made while intoxicated, he displayed his anger about his divorce about three years earlier and his desire to harm his ex-wife's new partner, Jaret Good.

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Justice J.B. Champion, in his written decision posted Wednesday, said his divorce drove him into "a deep depression."

"His alcohol abuse spiraled out of control," Champion wrote.

"In the late months of 2023, he was sinking further into darkness. He was angry at not being able to see his two young daughters and that his ex-wife had commenced a new relationship. A court sanctioned peace bond was in place at that time in an attempt to prevent any contact or communication by Mr. Patmore with them, which plunged him further into drinking and fury."

The full transcript of the 911 calls were submitted as part of a four-page agreed statement of facts.

Some of the alleged statements included, "I really, really f—king want to hurt this person," "I want to f—cking murder him" and "I just want to f—king slit his throat."

While prosecutors felt the comments expressed a clear desire of intent, Patmore's defence counsel told the court that the calls were not an attempt to direct threats toward Good but were instead a cry for help.

In his reasons, Champion agreed that the statements Patmore made were "deplorable and horrendous" and said it is not disputed that he was "quite intoxicated" when he made them.

However, Champion was not convinced Patmore had an imminent plan or desire to hurt Good.

"He did not say, for example, 'I'm on my way to kill him' or 'I am going to make sure he dies.' He was rather expressing his present and immediate feelings of deep frustration," he wrote.

People suffering mental health crises should reach out

Champion said that while no one should be able to say whatever they want in moments of anger, even to 911 operators, it should be noted that those dispatchers might be able to tell the difference between credible threats and "rambling, impulsive venting of people in trouble."

"There surely is a fundamental public interest in encouraging people who are in acute mental health crises to reach out to 911, distress lines, crisis centres and other emergency resources when in need of assistance, counselling, or intervention," Champion wrote.

"Those unfortunate people who find themselves in that kind of desperation ought to be encouraged to ask for help, notwithstanding that their pleas may contain language or the expression of feelings that could be perceived as threats to others."

Patmore was found not guilty on both charges.