Thanet man becomes 100th person subject to Stalking Prevention Order obtained by Kent Police

Photo Kent Police Thanet

Kent Police has obtained its 100 Stalking Protection Order (SPO) since the powers came into force in January 2020.

The 100th order, obtained this month, is against a Thanet man and follows a report of persistent unwanted contact, controlling and coercive behaviour and threats to kill which amounted to stalking.

This order prevents the 28-year-old from contacting the victim or their family, posting anything about them on social media, owning more than one phone or obstructing officers from investigating any future allegations. Additionally, the suspect must declare future relationships to ensure new partners are safeguarded.

The orders are designed to better safeguard victims of stalking by allowing officers to intervene in stalking cases before a conviction while further investigation is conducted.

They place a requirement on the perpetrator to register with police and anyone who breaches the order may be fined or sentenced to a maximum of five years per offence.

The first SPO was issued on Monday 25 February 2020 against a man from Rochester. The 54-year-old is prohibited from contacting the victim, engaging in any surveillance of her or attending her address. The order was granted for a duration of five years.

A further order was granted for 10 years and prevents a 38-year-old from contacting the victim personally or via any third parties, surveillance of the victim or attending her address. The defendant is also required to register his vehicle and phone details and attend a therapeutic programme to address his behaviour. This was issued in April 2022 against a man from Ashford.

Kent Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Tracey Harman said: “We are pleased to have secured 100 Stalking Protection Orders, which is an extremely valuable tool and help us further protect victims whilst our officers carry out full and thorough investigations.

“The order is certainly not an alternative to a prosecution; they are just one tool that officers use to provide protection to those who need it.

“We appreciate that sometimes victims want intervention rather than prosecution, particularly in domestic abuse cases, however regardless of the crime outcome, victims in Kent will always be safeguarded where appropriate and directed to the relevant support services for advice and further help.

“Stalking can have a devastating effect on victims’ lives and we remain focused and committed to helping people get justice and move forward.”

Advice for victims

5 Comments

  1. Kathy Bailes:- I do like the typographical errors. It draws ones eyes to the item .
    My dads favourite was “Whet paint” 🙂

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