Derwent & Solway Housing Association yesterday secured an antisocial behaviour injunction on a tenant following a violent attack on another female resident.
Derwent and Solway’s Community Safety Team acted quickly when a local woman came to their offices last month, after being violently assaulted by her neighbour, Ms. Hayley Weston, which left her with two black eyes and a bite mark on her back.
Working closely with Cumbria Constabulary’s Local Policing Team, Derwent & Solway’s Community Safety Team wasted no time and had the case in court and an interim injunction granted on Ms. Weston, within several hours with the help of the Police, whose swift assistance made the injunction application possible.
David Lovell, Neighbourhood Manager said:
“This was clearly a serious case of assault and it was important we acted quickly for the safety of the victim and other residents. Their well-being is our utmost priority.”
Derwent & Solway were forced to return to court two days later when Ms. Weston breached her injunction within 24 hours. She agreed to vacate her D & S-owned property to avoid being taken into custody but later appealed against the injunction with her partner Rory Woodall who was also prohibited from the address.
The return hearing took place yesterday at Whitehaven County Court. The court granted full injunction orders on both Ms Weston and Mr Woodall, in place for a period of 18 months until 18 October 2008. The full order lifted the exclusion allowing Ms Weston to return to her Derwent & Solway property.
The court also decided that Ms Weston had breached the original order on 2 occasions for which she was given a 4-week custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months.
David Lovell added:
“I am extremely pleased with the court’s decision. There is absolutely no place for violent crime in our neighbourhoods and we will take legal action instantly wherever necessary to ensure such behaviour is stamped out permanently.”
The terms of the injunction mean that Ms Weston and Mr Woodall are forbidden from the following within the neighbourhood of their Derwent & Solway property:
Engaging or threatening to engage in conduct capable of causing a nuisance or annoyance. This includes harassment, using abusive, insulting or threatening behaviour, using or threatening to use violence or damaging or threatening to damage property.
Residents in the Needham Drive and Birch Close areas have received information on the injunction and can contact Cumbria Constabulary on 0845 33 00 24 7 or Derwent and Solway Housing Association’s Community Safety Team on 0845 345 0272 if Ms Weston or Mr Woodall are seen breaching the terms. This could result in a custodial sentence of up to two years.