Preliminary hearing for assault, burglary

OLDTOWN — A Bonner County man is facing a host of charges that he assaulted a man attempting to serve him paperwork on a previous contempt of court charge.

Darryl William Thorn, 38, was charged Aug. 1 with felony assault, two counts of felony burglary, felony robbery, and felony destruction of evidence, and misdemeanor malicious injury to property.

According to court documents, an employee of Spokane Investigative Services attempted to serve Thorn in late July with paperwork requiring that he attend a contempt hearing in Snohomish County, Washington.

According to the probable cause affidavit, as the server spoke to a woman at the door of the home and asked for Thorn’s whereabouts, the man allegedly “came barreling out of a porta-potty at him.”

The alleged victim then said he told Thorn he only had paperwork for him and that “there was no need to be aggressive,” according to the documents.

Seeing Thorn did not slow his approach, the victim decided to run for his car, which he had left running. He made it to the driver's seat, but so did Thorn, the man said in the affidavit.

According to court records, Thorn then allegedly punched the victim in the face several times, stole his dashcam recorder, as well as his phone, which was sitting in his breast pocket recording the interaction. Thorn then kicked him in the ribs and left with the phone and dashcam.

The man said he spoke with Thorn in an effort to get his property back. Thorn’s mother brought the alleged victim a towel and cold water as they discussed what had happened. Thorn refused to return the alleged victim’s phone unless he deleted the video of his attempt to serve the paperwork. The man eventually complied with Thorn and deleted the video, he said to deputies.

Thorn then destroyed the memory card from the dashcam, which had been positioned to record the victim serving papers at the residence.

Thorn denied ever taking the phone and dashcam and claimed he had only gotten aggressive because a stranger was recording his wife at the door and was on his private property. Thorn admitted to a “scuffle” between himself and the victim.

When deputies arrived, Thorn saw them from the front door and went inside, prompting concerns he would barricade himself inside. However, according to court documents, after some appeals by deputies, Thorne left the residence and was taken into custody without issue.

As he was being transported by Deputy Kevin Schulte, a different employee from Investigative Services set the earlier paperwork from the victim on Thorn’s lap and notified him he had been served while they were at a stop sign before entering U.S. 2. Thorn’s preliminary hearing is Aug. 24 at the Bonner County Courthouse.

When deputies arrived, Thorn saw them from the front door and went inside, prompting concerns he would barricade himself inside. However, according to court documents, after some appeals by deputies, Thorne left the residence and was taken into custody without issue.

As he was being transported by Deputy Kevin Schulte, a different employee from Investigative Services set the earlier paperwork from the victim on Thorn’s lap and notified him he had been served while they were at a stop sign before entering U.S. 2. Thorn’s preliminary hearing is Aug. 24 at the Bonner County Courthouse.