Judge nixes lower bail for suspect in assault

A man accused of holding an electric saw to his wife's face was denied his bid to be released from jail Thursday. The woman was unhurt.

Ronald Millward, 35, of Hungry Horse is charged with aggravated assault. He asked District Judge Stewart Stadler to release him on his own recognizance. He would live with his girlfriend and not bother his estranged wife while he awaits trial, he said.

Millward has been held in jail on $100,000 bond since his arrest in December.

His attorney, Ed Falla, asked that Millward be released with whatever conditions the judge wanted to impose.

Deputy County Attorney Dan Guzynski said a high bond is warranted because of the nature of the crime.

While in jail, Millward talked to his 13-year-old son on the phone and told him to "tell your mom to drop the charges," according to sheriff's detective Glen Fulton.

Jail inmates' calls are recorded, and every call they place is prefaced with a notice that the call is being recorded, Fulton said.

A restraining order against Millward is in place, prohibiting him from contacting his wife directly or indirectly. But Fulton said Millward's calls recorded his attempts to get his girlfriend to talk to his wife. He also reportedly tried to call his wife collect at her job.

Fulton also said a reported domestic disturbance was investigated at Millward's house in October. Then, his wife said, he hit her with a plastic bottle. There were no charges filed.

In December, according to the Sheriff's Ooffice report, the Millwards had a disagreement at his girlfriend's house. He reportedly followed his estranged wife to her house, according to Undersheriff Mike Meehan. There, he allegedly choked her and held a saw to her face, Meehan said.

Stadler said he won't reduce Millward's bond from $100,000.