This is Somerset --
A STREET man who committed a third breach of a restraining order preventing him from contacting a teenage girl has had the order discharged by the courts.
Philip Henry Stevens had been sent to prison for a previous breach of the five-year order.
The restraining order had been imposed in June 2011 after he was accused of an offence of harassment against the girl who was then aged 17.
The 54-year-old, of Quantock Court, appeared before Somerset Magistrates in Yeovil last week, and admitted breaching the order on July 9.
But the court also heard the victim had made an application for the restraining order to be revoked.
Prosecutor Janine Bailey said that Stevens had been made subject to the non-conviction restraining order after the initial charge of harassment was dropped.
This prohibited him from contacting the girl directly or indirectly and not to go to a specified address in Wells.
She said that on July 9 a social care worker had informed the police that she had seen a vehicle belonging to Stevens parked outside the girl's home address.
She said people had been concerned for the girl's welfare.
"The police attended and saw Stevens in the hall with the girl and he was arrested," she said.
The court heard that the girl, who had been deemed "vulnerable" as she was previously in care, was now over 18.
The girl was said to consider the defendant to be a father figure in her life.
"She says he is no threat to her and thinks the restraining order has gone on for long enough now and wants it to stop," added Mrs Bailey.
Defending solicitor Sam Morton said that Stevens had been invited to the address by the girl's mother who was his friend but he did not know the girl was present at the time.
"He had a drink out in the garden and then became aware she was upstairs and there was minimal direct contact with her," he said.
"Over time it has been made increasingly difficult for them to comply with this order, particularly because the girl has now moved back into her mother's address and she is 19 years of age."
After hearing the evidence, the magistrates ordered that the restraining order against Stevens should be removed.
For the breach they sentenced him to a community order with a six month curfew.
They also ordered him to be at his home address between the hours of 8pm and 7am daily while electronically tagged.
He was also ordered to pay £60 towards costs and a £60 victim surcharge. Reported by This is 8 hours ago.
A STREET man who committed a third breach of a restraining order preventing him from contacting a teenage girl has had the order discharged by the courts.
Philip Henry Stevens had been sent to prison for a previous breach of the five-year order.
The restraining order had been imposed in June 2011 after he was accused of an offence of harassment against the girl who was then aged 17.
The 54-year-old, of Quantock Court, appeared before Somerset Magistrates in Yeovil last week, and admitted breaching the order on July 9.
But the court also heard the victim had made an application for the restraining order to be revoked.
Prosecutor Janine Bailey said that Stevens had been made subject to the non-conviction restraining order after the initial charge of harassment was dropped.
This prohibited him from contacting the girl directly or indirectly and not to go to a specified address in Wells.
She said that on July 9 a social care worker had informed the police that she had seen a vehicle belonging to Stevens parked outside the girl's home address.
She said people had been concerned for the girl's welfare.
"The police attended and saw Stevens in the hall with the girl and he was arrested," she said.
The court heard that the girl, who had been deemed "vulnerable" as she was previously in care, was now over 18.
The girl was said to consider the defendant to be a father figure in her life.
"She says he is no threat to her and thinks the restraining order has gone on for long enough now and wants it to stop," added Mrs Bailey.
Defending solicitor Sam Morton said that Stevens had been invited to the address by the girl's mother who was his friend but he did not know the girl was present at the time.
"He had a drink out in the garden and then became aware she was upstairs and there was minimal direct contact with her," he said.
"Over time it has been made increasingly difficult for them to comply with this order, particularly because the girl has now moved back into her mother's address and she is 19 years of age."
After hearing the evidence, the magistrates ordered that the restraining order against Stevens should be removed.
For the breach they sentenced him to a community order with a six month curfew.
They also ordered him to be at his home address between the hours of 8pm and 7am daily while electronically tagged.
He was also ordered to pay £60 towards costs and a £60 victim surcharge. Reported by This is 8 hours ago.