Calgary domestic abuse victim warns about ex-boyfriend wanted on Canada-wide warrant

A Calgary woman is warning others after she found out her ex-boyfriend is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for being unlawfully at large.

Two years ago, Dianne Denovan was tied up and severely beaten by her former boyfriend, Michael Richard Cole, 49, which left her suffering broken bones, a lacerated eye and a brain injury.

Denovan’s daughter Nikole Denovan said the years since have been a roller-coaster, with her mother taking medical leave to help physical wounds heal — injuries that improved faster than scars below the surface.

“It was working through the emotional trauma — that is going to be a lifetime of work,” Nikole said. “The smallest things can trigger feelings of anxiety and fear.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It was working through the emotional trauma — that is going to be a lifetime of work," Nikole said. "The smallest things can trigger feelings of anxiety and fear."

Aggravated assault

In 2016, Cole was arrested in Calgary and sentenced to two years and five months for aggravated assault. He was released on parole on Dec. 3, 2018.

On Dec. 17, Dianne was informed by the Parole Board of Canada that Cole didn’t report to the halfway house he was staying at.

“It was terror, really,” Nikole said. “As much as, ‘We have taken as many precautions as possible to ensure her safety and her security since this incident,’ it was like she is reliving this all over again.”

A warrant for Cole’s arrest went into effect on Dec. 19.

‘He had us all fooled’

Nikole posted about her mother’s assault on Facebook in hopes of tracking down Cole. As of Sunday night, it’s been shared 27,000 times.

“When we got word that he was missing, our immediate thought was anyone is at risk to encounter this man,” Nikole said. “He’s very dangerous. When my mom met him two years ago, three years ago almost now, there were no warning signs for this. He had us all fooled.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "When we got word that he was missing, our immediate thought was anyone is at risk to encounter this man," Nikole said. "He's very dangerous. When my mom met him two years ago, three years ago almost now, there were no warning signs for this. He had us all fooled."

She wants people to recognize Cole’s face and the threat he poses. According to parole board documents, an assessment indicated Cole is a high risk for further domestic violence.

Nikole hopes going public with her mother’s story will raise more awareness of domestic abuse.

“We do know that it is positive in the sense that it is going to bring a lot of awareness, not only to survivors of domestic violence, but hopefully also prevent it from happening in the future for others.”

– With files from Carolyn Kury de Castillo