Ex-girlfriend makes claims about Stewart

Despite claims that Charles Stewart stepped into a woman?s shower uninvited, circulated naked pictures of her, and even made a call to her employer saying she was on drugs, he walked from the courtroom a free man Tuesday.

It was a twisted maze of testimony between Stewart and his ex-girlfriend, Linda Cooper, but General Sessions Judge Larry Ross said the evidence he heard didn?t indicate guilt on the allegations of stalking brought by Cooper. Ross indicated if Stewart stood before the court on different charges, he likely wouldn?t have been so fortunate.

?These are as despicable of acts as I?ve ever heard in this courtroom,? Ross told Stewart following the hour-long hearing. ?If these had been charges related to the acts I?d heard just now, you?d be going to jail today, no question about it.?

According to Cooper, she took the stalking warrants after several incidents involving the man she said she had not seriously dated for years. Citing specific instances, Cooper testified that on Oct. 22 Stewart let himself into her apartment uninvited, found her in the bedroom, pushed her onto her bed and tried to force himself on her.

?He threw me on my bed but I told him it would be rape,? Cooper testified.

On Oct. 25, Cooper said she was in the shower when the curtain suddenly parted and a naked Stewart stepped into the shower with her. Once again, Cooper said she told him to leave.

?He says he loves me and that I belong to him,? Cooper said, noting he would also, days later, force her to come with him to his house, something witnessed by her daughter who was visiting her home. ?He doesn?t own me.?

Her present boyfriend, Campbell Boyd, testified Stewart, who is a friend of his, showed up knocking on Cooper?s window one morning, noting his old friend would later hand him a naked picture of Cooper. The same picture, a superintendent at Cooper?s apartment complex would later testify, was handed to her by Stewart with a request she slide it under Cooper?s door. Stewart admitted to passing around the indecent picture of Cooper.

The final act was Stewart?s call to Nurse One where he claimed Cooper was on drugs. The call prompted a drug test which came back clean. However, a supervisor at Nurse One said the call could have cost Cooper her job.

After weathering the attack by the prosecution, Stewart, through his attorney, Peg Stewart, fired back, claiming Cooper was being less than totally truthful.

Specifically, Stewart brought several witnesses to the stand who testified they had seen Cooper and her vehicle at Stewart?s house around the time all the incidents occurred, thereby questioning her claim the couple?s relationship had ended years ago.

Witnesses also said Cooper was at Stewart?s house on her own accord the day she claimed to be forced to come to his house. One witness went so far as to say that Cooper had called Stewart?s father, Derwood Stewart, to ask his blessing for marriage during the same time period.

As for his run-in with Boyd at Cooper?s apartment, Stewart said he had come there at Cooper?s request to bring breakfast. However, Judge Ross quickly said he doubted that claim, noting no one would call their old boyfriend to bring breakfast when their new boyfriend was there.

While condemning the confessed actions of Stewart, Ross also had strong words for Cooper given questions about her story and the length of their break-up.

?Some of this stuff I don?t know whether to believe or not, while some was pretty credible,? Ross said. ?Either way, where in the world is your self-respect here? You are both adults. Start acting like it.?

Cooper has a restraining order against Stewart. Judge Ross reminded her the order works both ways and she is not to contact her ex-boyfriend either.