Photo: Joseph Birdwell
A man who faces charges in two criminal cases, including assaulting member of his family, had his bond lowered during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
Bond for 35-year-old Joseph Birdwell of Lakeview was cut from $50,000 to $15,000 by Circuit Judge John Putman. There were a number of conditions set, including having no contact with the victims and a prohibition on using alcohol and drugs.
He will also be required to live apart from the victims of the alleged assault. His mother testified during Monday’s hearing that she had obtained a place for her son to live, and he would be living alone.
If Birdwell violates even one of the conditions, he is to be returned to the Baxter County Detention Center.
The second case involves allegations that Birdwell beat an ATM with his fists and cellphone.
Birdwell’s latest charges stem from events on July 7 when Lakeview police were called to an address along Lakeview Cove Place where the victims of an altercation had fled for their safety.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Birdwell was alleged to have been drinking heavily when he began hitting and kicking the door to his 14-year-old daughter’s bedroom at the family home located along Leta Drive
The daughter told investigators her father was also calling her names and yelling.
She said she opened the door so Birdwell would not break it down and was trying to get away from her father.
She said Birdwell grabbed her and pushed her down the hall telling her to get out of the house. He is also reported to have attempted to choke his daughter.
The daughter said she was able to push Birdwell away and fled to a relative’s house a few streets away.
Birdwell’s daughter said the aggressive behavior “has been going on a long time and just keeps getting worse.”
Investigators spoke with a female identified as Birdwell’s wife and the mother of the 14-year-old female.
She said when she arrived at home Birdwell was drunk. She attempted to get her daughter and leave, but the daughter had already fled the residence.
Birdwell then pushed his wife in the hallway, hit her on the left side of her face and bit her twice on the left arm.
He is also accused of throwing his cellphone at her, hitting her in the ribs and choking her. The woman said during the attack, Birdwell was cursing her in a loud voice.
The wife got out of the house, went to Birdwell’s mother’s home and called police. He also showed up there while police were taking statements from his wife and daughter.
When he saw the officer, Birdwell ran. He was caught, arrested and put in the back seat of the Lakeview police patrol car.
He was reported to have continued screaming at his wife and hitting the door of the patrol car.
In the earlier case, security camera footage from April 2 alleges to show Birdwell inserting his debit card into an ATM machine at a Lakeview bank.
The transaction was not completed, and Birdwell began to pummel the ATM.
Less than an hour later, Birdwell was shown revisiting the scene where he began beating the ATM a second time.
The touch screen on the ATM was broken, and the machine had to be taken out of service for five days.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Birdwell did slightly more than $1,700 in damage in his two attacks on the ATM.
The Lakeview police reported Birdwell was given an opportunity to make restitution to the bank, but he had not done so at the time the probable cause affidavit was written.
In the affidavit, it is noted Birdwell did not gain access to the cash loaded into the machine.
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