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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

‘Smear Campaign’ Costs|Dad Child-Support Appeal

(CN) - A man who smeared a concoction of brown sugar, mustard, Vaseline and sardines at his ex-wife's workplace is not entitled to a recalculation of his child-support payments, the Missouri Court of Appeals ruled.

Stephanie Ann Heck testified that she lost her high-paying job because Douglas Heck applied the mixture to the doors and sidewalks at her workplace. She also said Douglas disconnected her battery cables and drove by her workplace repeatedly, causing her to seek a protection order.

After the order was entered, Douglas sent Stephanie e-mail and text messages stating that he would work as little as possible to minimize his assets.

"I have $50,000 hiding and I won't give you a dime until you remove the order," he allegedy wrote. He then demanded, in capital letters 14 times in a row, that she remove the protective order.

He also sent her photos of stacks of money.

"Remember, I am smarter than you, dumbass. You will have money to buy them clothes at garage sales," he wrote.

The appeals court upheld the divorce and the trial court's calculation of $100,000 as Douglas' annual income.

Douglas' "conduct and words provided all of the proof the trial court needed that [Douglas] was purposefully underemployed," Judge Cynthia Martin wrote.

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