A man who tried to hide from police officers in a loft after breaching an order to protect survivors of domestic abuse has been jailed.
Leon Lincoln disregarded the conditions of a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) when he twice showed up at the address of an ex-partner in Bassetlaw.
The 27-year-old was made subject of the order on June 24, which prevented him from contacting the victim or visiting their address.
Nottinghamshire Police’s neighbourhood officers routinely monitor DVPOs and Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) as part of safeguarding efforts to ensure victims are safe.
If breaches are discovered or reported, offenders are liable to be arrested and brought before the courts.
During a welfare visit on July 6, officers found Lincoln at the address. He tried to flee and jump over a garden fence but was arrested for breaching the DVPO.
Appearing in court the next day, Lincoln admitted the breach and was fined £50, with an additional order to pay costs of £100.
Officers were called to reports that Lincoln had revisited the victim’s home on July 14.
They arrived 15 minutes later to discover Lincoln hidden in the loft space. After talking him down, he was arrested for breaching the DVPO.
Lincoln, of Gateford Road, Worksop, admitted breaching the order for a second time when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on July 15. He was sentenced to 21 days in custody.
Detective Sergeant Lucy Ward is part of Nottinghamshire Police’s safeguarding team.
She said: “Violence against women and girls is completely unacceptable.
“As a force, we remain committed to doing everything we can to prevent and reduce the harm it causes, keeping women and girls safe, and holding offenders to account.
“Protection orders are an important tool to help us do this and give officers the power to arrest those who breach them.
“It allows us to put immediate protection measures in place after a domestic abuse incident and is just one part of wider wraparound support.
“If offenders continue a pattern of behaviour and breach their orders, we will not hesitate to deal with them robustly.”
“I would urge anyone who is a victim of crime to report it to us on 101, or in an emergency call 999.”
