Defendant given 36 weeks in prison after sixth breach of ASB injunction

A man who kept returning to his mother’s home in breach of an injunction has been given a 36-week term of imprisonment.

The injunction required Keith Wade not to attend a specified address in Stockport.

It had been imposed by Stockport County Court on 30 March after a history of nuisance and disturbance at the property between April 2014 and February 2015 and 38 police call-outs involving the defendant.

District Judge Dignan said there had also been a number of breaches since the injunction was made. The latest instance was the sixth such breach.

The judge noted that the last term of imprisonment (of four) had been imposed by District Judge Horan on 31 July for 24 weeks.

However, immediately upon release from that term of imprisonment, Wade had returned to his mother’s property.

“I understand what you are saying that you have nowhere to live and you have a property of your own that you cannot gain access to,” District Judge Dignan told the unrepresented defendant in Equity Housing Group v Wade [2015] EW Misc B40 (CC) (28 October 2015).

“However, the point is this: there is an injunction in place telling you not to do so. You keep breaching the injunction. What you have to understand is that you are placing your mother's occupation of that property in jeopardy because if you keep returning there, then Equity Housing Group will be left with no option.”

The District Judge said it was to the defendant’s credit that “as normal” he had admitted at the first opportunity to having breached the injunction. Allowing for that fact, the judge gave Wade a term of imprisonment of 36 weeks.