On Thursday 28th May Cumbria Constabulary successfully applied for the first substantive Stalking Protection Order. The application was heard by District Judge Chalk at Carlisle Magistrates Court and was presented by the Constabulary’s Legal Service Department. The Order was upon, Andrew Grant, 43, of Newton Square, Gretna and will remain be in place for two years.
The application followed a complaint Grant had undertaken acts associated with stalking over the course of several years. Those acts included; frequent unwanted contact, creating and contacting the victim through fake social media accounts and persistently loitering in the area of the victim’s home address.
Detective Chief Inspector Dan St Quintin said:
“We are delighted to have been granted this Stalking Protection Order (SPO), an SPO is a great tool to prevent fixated, obsessive and unwanted behaviour. We hope this sends out a message that we will peruse perpetrators of stalking and harassment and encourage victims to come forward.
“Stalking is a very serious offence which causes significant harm to victims and their families. Breaches of these orders will be taken seriously by the constabulary.
“Stalking may often not be reported by victims initially despite the destructive effect upon their lives due to the acts they are being subjected to perhaps appearing trivial at first or due to victims feeling fearful, paranoid or intimidated by their perpetrators.
“The Constabulary is determined to tackle perpetrators of stalking robustly and I encourage anyone to contact us if you believe you are a victim of stalking or have concerns relating to someone you feel may be being stalked”.
If you think you or someone you know maybe a victim or perpetrator of stalking you should ring 101 to report to police.