A woman who was charged by Greenwich Police last summer with Intentional Cruelty to Persons, Risk of Injury to a Child and Assault 2 was back in court room 1B at Stamford Superior Court on Friday morning.
After dozens of cases were dispatched, each taking just a minute or two, Assistant State’s Attorney Daniel Cummings had plenty to say about Old Greenwich resident Evelyn Stowell.
Dressed in a dark sweater, slacks and a high ponytail, Stowell stood with her attorney, public defender Amelia Ruggeri before Judge Hudock.
In July 2018, Ms Stowell was arrested by warrant for Intentional Cruelty to Persons, Risk of Injury to a Child and Assault 2 after a month long investigation by Greenwich Police Special Victims Section.
The charges stemmed back to an incident on April 17, 2018 on Sound Beach Ave.
Stowell was placed under a partial protective order prohibiting her from abusing, harassing or threatening her three children, and her bond was set at $25,000.
On Friday Mr. Cummings asked the judge to increase Stowell’s bond because the State had become aware of a complaint from a neighbor.
According to the complaint, which was reported to Dept of Children & Families, Ms. Stowell had beaten one of her children severely and asserted that beatings were a regular occurrence in the family home.
Further, according to the complaint the neighbor had heard Stowell calling her children names including animals, dogs and “M-F’ers.”
Cummings said the complaint was supported by an audio recording in which Stowell was loud enough to be heard through the wall screaming and cursing at her children.
The complaining party said that afterward she had heard a child crying all night long.
Cummings said according to the complaint, Stowell had a pattern of harassing her neighbor, including dumping garbage and debris in her yard causing her to feel intimidated.
He said an arrest warrant for new charges was expected next week.
Attorney Ruggeri said Ms. Stowell, 40, who now resides at 295 Sound Beach Ave in Old Greenwich, denied the accusations, saying that rather it was the neighbor who was harassing Stowell.
Further Ruggeri said Stowell had no previous record and no Failure To Appears. She asked Judge Hudock not to increase the bond and said her client would comply with any terms he issued for her release.
The judge shook his head. “The prosecutor is not one to exaggerate,” Hudock said. “I have known him a long time.”
Hudock said he would indeed sign the amended protective order requiring Stowell to have no contact with the neighbor or her family members, including a 100-yard-stay-away requirement.
After Ms. Stowell repeatedly whispered to her attorney while the judge was listening to the state’s attorney, Judge Hudock insisted she be quiet or find herself in more trouble.
Hudock agreed to the protective order for the neighbor and told Stowell to have no contact with the reporting party.
The judge also upped Stowell’s bond by $100,000 which resulted in some gasps from the packed courtroom.
Before Ms. Stowell was led away in handcuffs, she was warned that if she were to violate the protective order against the reporting party she would face a Felony Violation of Protective Order.
But even before last July, in March 2015 Ms Stowell was arrested after an incident at Family Centers. At that time, Ms Stowell who at the time resided at 36 Arch Street, and William Stowell of New Canaan had an argument in the Family Centers parking lot.
At the time, according to Greenwich Police, both went inside the facility, where Mr. Stowell claimed he was struck in the back while proceeding down the hallway to the room where their child was located. Administrators for the facility described the two individuals as arguing with raised voices in the hallway. Both were charged with Breach of Peace 2 and four counts of Risk of Injury/Impairing the Morals of Minors.
Ms Stowell, whose files are sealed on the Judicial Branch website, is due back in Stamford Superior Court on Feb 14, 2019.
See also:
Old Greenwich Woman Charged with Cruelty, Risk of Injury to Minor, Assault July 2018
Parents Arrested after Dispute Spills into Family Centers Classroom March 2015