A Graham fireman is scheduled to appear in Alamance County civil court Monday morning for a hearing on a domestic violence protective order being sought by a Burlington woman who claims she once dated him but says she now fears he may harm her or her family.
Courtney Wrenn of Burlington has filed a request for a domestic violence protective order (a DVPO, or 50B) against Robert Patterson, II, of Burlington, whose employer is listed in the court file as the Graham fire department.
Patterson, 50, white male, was served with a notice of the hearing in the case Friday, according to the court file.
Wrenn, 36, white female alleges that Patterson has stalked her and her husband for at least the last five months. She claims that Patterson “was very aware” of her and her husband’s work schedule and has made his presence known constantly.
In filing her complaint and motion for a DVPO, Wrenn checked a box stating, “The defendant and I are persons who are in or have been in a dating relationship.” The court file does not state how long Wrenn and Patterson dated, or when the relationship ended.
Wrenn’s complaint for the DVPO details multiple occasions between January 4 and March 27 of this year – and sometimes multiple times each day – when Patterson allegedly came by her work, her husband’s work, and waiting in the parking lot outside her church.
Meanwhile, Wrenn was granted a temporary emergency (ex parte) domestic violence protective order last Friday, March 31, based on an order signed by Alamance County district court judge Rick Champion, which is included in the court file.
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Patterson has been ordered to stay away from Wrenn’s home; her and her husband’s workplaces; her children’s school; and the couple’s church at 2420 Corporation Parkway in Burlington, which is the address for Integrity Church, based on the temporary emergency order that Champion signed last Friday. Patterson has also been directed to turn over any firearms he may own to the sheriff’s department, according to Champion’s order.
Wrenn alleges that the most recent unwanted contact from Patterson occurred last Monday, March 27, causing her and her family members to be “placed in fear of imminent serious bodily injury.” The court file gives no details about that alleged incident.
“My husband works across from the church…Tuesdays [and] Wednesdays we are at church right after work,” Wrenn asserts in an addendum included with her request for the DVPO. “See the last [three] months of stalking/harassment [outlined] below. There are multiple other incidences as far back as 10/2/2022, including text threats, Facebook messages, signs placed down road, [blackmail], etc.”
Wrenn claims that her life has been upended due to the alleged constant stalking. “I am always looking over my shoulder fearful of when he might show up and what he may do,” Wrenn states in her addendum to the court file. “This has caused a lot of emotional distress for me with lots of sleepless nights and constant therapy for my mental health and disrupted my eating patterns causing me to gain weight. He has caused my relationship with my sons, family, and friend[s] to [deteriorate] due to the constant harassment. We have clearly asked him to leave us alone so we can move forward with our life but he has continued to make his presence known.”
The procedures in cases involving 50B domestic violence protective orders vary significantly from other civil matters. Rather than file written responses, defendants in domestic violence cases typically hire attorneys to gather evidence and represent them at subsequent court hearings.
Unlike criminal proceedings, there is also no arraignment for a hearing in which a 50B domestic violence protective order is being sought.
There appear to be no previous, current, or pending criminal charges against Patterson, based on Alamance County court records.
The court file lists Patterson’s address as 2629 Catherine Drive, Burlington, and Wrenn’s address as 1950 Martin Street, Burlington.
A hearing in the case is currently scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday morning in Alamance County civil court.
