A Tippecanoe County man appealing the issuance of a protective order against him lost his case before the Indiana Court of Appeals Wednesday. The appellate court concluded that the evidence showed his wife is a victim of domestic violence.

In Jeffrey A. Hanauer v. Colleen T. Hanauer, 79A04-1205-PO-271, Jeffrey Hanauer argued that there was insufficient evidence to support issuing a protective order against him. In January 2012, marital problems escalated between the husband and his wife Colleen Hanauer. He would scream at his wife to get a job and told her he would kill himself if she left him. When Colleen Hanauer slept in a separate bedroom, Jeffrey Hanauer would enter the room and repeatedly wake her up by turning on lights and banging on doors. Colleen Hanauer found her tires slashed one day.

Jeffrey Hanauer took medication for insomnia and severe anxiety disorder, and he also used marijuana.

Colleen Hanauer eventually left her husband, filed for a protective order pro se, and then filed for divorce. The trial court found that “domestic or family violence, [or] stalking . . . occurred sufficient to justify the issuance of [the Protective Order].” Based on these findings, Tippecanoe Superior Judge Randy J. Williams found Colleen Hanauer was a victim of domestic violence and entitled to the protective order.

The Court of Appeals found the husband failed to show the findings were clearly erroneous and ruled the issuance of the protective order was not in error.