GREAT HARWOOD MAN SENT TO PRISON FOR BREACHING RESTRAINING ORDER
A man named Dominic Cooper, aged 44 and residing in Kipling Place, Great Harwood, has been sentenced to jail for breaching a restraining order shortly after being given a suspended sentence for an earlier breach.The Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard that Cooper responded to a 'cry for help' from his ex-partner, who was threatening to self-harm.
Cooper pleaded guilty to the charge of breaching the restraining order by attending his ex-partner's home and contacting her via text message.
As a result, the suspended prison sentence was activated, and Cooper was sentenced to 28 weeks in jail.
The chair of the magistrates' bench stated that Cooper's offending was persistent and emphasized the importance of restraining orders, saying, "The court put these restraining orders in place for a reason...
You have breached it again and again and the latest was very soon after you had been made subject to a suspended prison sentence.
You leave us with no option." The prosecution, led by Usma Kausar, noted the restraining order was made in April following a conviction for assault, and that a breach in August had been fined, with the suspended sentence imposed in September.
Ian Huggan, representing Cooper in mitigation, explained that the communication with his ex-partner was mutual and that Cooper had gone to her address at her request due to her threats to self-harm, arguing that "If he didn't go around to offer assistance and she committed suicide, the guilt would be on him." The court deemed Cooper's repeated breaches sufficient reason for his incarceration and highlighted the importance of enforcing restraining orders for protection.
