A 55-year-old man who put his ex through hell by stealing his personal information to sell it to a scammer has been ordered to pay him more than $14,000.
“Threatening [la victime] sell her personal information to a criminal who will definitely harm her if she does not reimburse him $200, [Michael] Hitchman was clearly trying to extort money from him,” read the decision handed down by Judge Eric Meunier earlier this month.
Hitchman first sued his ex-partner in small claims because she allegedly failed to reimburse him for the cost of a bed and various supplies for his cats after their split. However, he saw that his procedure backfired.
In his decision, the judge says Mr. Hitchman threatened to sue his ex for expenses she had already reimbursed him, undermining his authority.
The couple met in February 2020, but a month later the relationship quickly deteriorated.
His former comrade Magazine chose not to give his name to protect his identity, so he was able to prove that his treatment was “offensive” and also win compensation for what Hitchman did to him.
Fraud victim
At trial, Monrealer expressed regret that she had been the victim of several attempts at fraud, while her credit rating was affected, in particular, by requests for credit and credit cards opened in her name.
She managed to prove that Michael Hitchman was guilty, presenting as evidence records of telephone conversations with him, dated January 2021.
“We hear how he twice threatened to sell her personal information to a criminal for the sum of $2,000 unless she paid him the $200 he demanded. Mr. Hitchman's plan is detailed and precise. He is equally precise about the possible consequences for [son ex-conjointe]“: the criminal could contact his banker, ruin his loan,” the verdict clarifies.
However, according to Judge Meunier, “the clear threats, their execution, the quasi-coincidence between the beginning of the fraud” ensure that everything points to Hitchman.
Physical and psychological violence
At the trial, the woman also testified that she was the victim of numerous abuses by her ex-partner.
“She explains that he sometimes strangles her, saying that he could easily kill her with his bare hands if he wanted to. He hits her, pulls her hair. He humiliates her, describes his decision. He once penetrated her without her consent while she was sleeping.”
She described the effects she suffered from Hitchman: “Fear, stress, anxiety, loss of self-esteem, nightmares that still give her pain.”
In total, he was ordered to pay the victim $14,057 for all the harm he caused her.
Note that Michael Hitchman also faces criminal charges of extortion and identity theft. His trial will take place in January next year.
