A father who had been accused of threatening violence against his family has been cleared after a prosecutor found a Villages Charter School student had been coached by her mother.
James Mellor, 56, of Fruitand Park, was arrested in 2019 after Villages Charter School staff alerted social services when a student reported her mother had been threatened with a gun over the holidays. Mellor was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
As a result of that incident, Mellor’s estranged wife sought orders of protection for herself and her minor children. Later in the year, law enforcement was notified after Mellor sent a friend request to one of the children through Snapchat. The contact was determined to have violated the court order.
Mellor has been cleared in the case according to an announcement from the prosecutor’s office.
“In a light most favorable to the state, there is insufficient evidence to prove one or more elements of the crime charged. Additionally, there is testimony that the victim has coached and influenced the juvenile witnesses testimony,” the prosecutor’s office said in the announcement.
