Landlord wins case to ban paedophile from home
A housing association has succeeded in using anti-social behaviour laws to bar a convicted paedophile from returning to his family home.
Yeovil County Court this week granted Knightstone Housing Association an anti-social behaviour injunction against the man, preventing him from entering Reed Close in Chard, Somerset, for five years.
The man is the long-term partner of a Knightstone tenant. The association was awarded an interim injunction against him last month, because Reed Close is home to 19 girls under the age of 16 (Inside Housing, 21 August)
Gina Cutler, senior housing manager responsible for nuisance prevention at Knightstone, described the case as ‘difficult and complex’.
‘The [man’s] conduct has caused alarm and distress to neighbours in Chard over a period of years,’ she said. ‘We took this action with the full support of local police and other agencies who felt that the interests of the wider community were best served by keeping [him] away from the area.
‘We take action against people who persistently cause anti-social behaviour in order to give other Knightstone residents peaceful and safe enjoyment of their homes.’
Alex Loxton, legal executive at law firm Anthony Collins, which acted for Knightstone, said associations were duty-bound to investigate complaints. ‘Investigations were undertaken and injunction proceedings were taken as a last resort. Not only did these proceedings deal with the issue regarding the defendant’s criminal convictions but also [his] intimidating behaviour towards his neighbours.’
The defendent’s legal team were unavailable for comment.
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Readers' comments (2)
Joe Halewood | 15/09/2009 12:39 pm
This headline is regrettably typical of the journalistic standards of this site recently. This ex-offender has been prevented from entering a street and not his home - Yes it amounts to the same thing but he hasnt been banned from the HOME but the street.
This takes on added meaning when a 2 minute search on the internet reveals much more about this case: -
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PCSO for the Reed Close area, Richard Oaten, said in his submission: "Since 2001 a resident and his family have subjected other residents/families with anti-social behaviour, criminal damage, burglary and he is also a registered sex offender. He was sent to prison in 2008 having breached his bail conditions with a female minor.
"This has enabled the residents and children to undergo an important healing process. The Close does at times suffer from minor anti-social behaviour as the children play football in the street and have no recreational facilities nearby.
"The restored play area would give the children and parents ownership; somewhere to meet, play and interact in general, close to their homes for added security and reassurance."
The overgrown site is between Reed Close and the Jarman Way Business Estate.
Residents have welcomed the playground plan. One said: "The idea sounds great because the kids have absolutely no where to play and can get frustrated at times.
"They have been given soft play balls by the police and housing association but unfortunately we don't like them to play out when there are cars. Also, people's property has to be taken into account where they play.
"I have lived in Reed Close for 11 years and my kids have had nowhere to go, I can't always take them to the park and the gardens aren't really big enough to run around in.
"Any money we could get to help with play areas would be fantastic.
"It would definitely improve the street and give the kids somewhere all for them to enjoy."
Another said: "There are several youngsters aged between three and five who are allowed to play in the street; at least this will give them somewhere to go, rather than sit on the kerb or road or play chicken with the cars."
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So we see first that this ASB has been ongoing from 2001 to 2008 and we see little if any action being taken by the landlord and or police - So the landlord stating "we have taken action against people who persistently cause asb... is factual but only after 7 years it seems!
And secondly, we see the Police advocating and proposing a childrens play park for community healing - a play park NOT in Reed Close - the area this ex-offender is banned from but right next door!!!
What a wonderful idea that apparently the community wants!!!! - A childrens play area just outside the banned area !!!!!
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kass | 15/09/2009 2:48 pm
It looks like the children are not cared for responsibly by their families, council and other bodies like housing associations ... The remedy? Let's get a peadophile - let's ban him - problems solved!... Is the the paedophile fault children have been left to play on the street or unsupervised?... Is it a peadophile fault children cannot be taken to a nearby park to run freely there?.. What if a murderer instead of a peadophine harms these chidren?... Or a drunk and drive driver or a car-jacker?..
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