Booking photo for Mark D. Phipps (Courtesy: Cache County Jail)
LOGAN — A judge has continued to refuse bail for Mark D. Phipps, the 58-year-old Wellsville man accused of harassing his estranged wife after previously being arrested for stalking her.
Phipps participated in a virtual hearing in 1st District Court Tuesday morning, appearing by web conference from jail. He has been charged with six counts of violating a protective order, a third-degree felony. He also faces counts of stalking, a second-degree felony; and, distribution of an intimate image, a class A misdemeanor.
Defense attorney Shannon Demler asked the court to schedule a preliminary hearing for Phipps, where prosecutors will present their evidence in the cases. He explained that the hearing could be delayed if his client was allowed to be released on bail.
Judge Jeremiah Humes, who is temporarily filling in for the retired Judge Thomas Willmore, noted that Phipps had already been denied bail. He refused to overturn the previous ruling, and ordered the suspect to appear again in court for a preliminary hearing July 14.
According to the original warrant affidavit, the alleged victim claimed Phipps would follow her as she would drive to her Ogden workplace. He would also call her and make comments that he was spying on her during her lunch break.
Deputies claim Phipps sent a photograph of the woman, partially naked from the waist down, to a family member. He also threatened to send additional nude pictures to others in the woman’s family.
Court records show, Phipps has faced multiple stalking charges previously. He has also had multiple protective orders filed against him.
will@cvradio.com