While Dale unquestionably has range/anger issues...I think there is also an extent to which he is a sociopath. To be involved in all of these horrible scenarios that you described takes more than just an inability to control your emotions. Clearly, there is an element to him that is not normal. Someone on here mentioned that Dale was the leader of the gang that targeted a specific young man. This takes some kind of pre-meditative action. I think in his head, unspoken, he likely had thoughts of hurting/killing Michelle for some time. I truly believe he had probably considered how he would do it and what he would do thereafter, but not when or even if he would actually do it...The PC show through him over the edge and he harmed her. And then, carried out what he had already pre-meditated. JMO. But, I think it's really plausible.