Man who is 'a risk to women generally' sent to jail for repeat breaches of court order

Simon Wells, 30, with an address listed as Inverary Avenue in Sydenham, east Belfast, breached the order by having an unapproved overnight stay at a family member's address in his home town of Antrim on April 27 this year.

Between July 11 and September 30 this year he stayed at an unapproved address.

There was a further breach by staying at an unapproved address between October 1 to October 8, and he failed to notify police of his address.

The defendant appeared at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena today, via video link from prison.

He was described as a Category 2 violent offender – the second highest category.

He was prohibited from staying overnight away from his address without prior approval from his designated risk manager.

On April 27 he had stayed with a family member without informing his risk manager.

The court was told if he had asked permission would have been given.

He had not been at his Inverary Drive property on dates between July 11 and September 30 this year.

When located he was at an address in Antrim.

Earlier this month he had breached his VOPO; he had not been home in breach of an 8pm curfew.

The court was told the VOPO was given to the defendant at Antrim Crown Court in April last year and runs to April 2029 for offences of assault aggravated by domestic abuse and criminal damage.

A defence barrister said the defendant is originally from Antrim but prison release licence conditions placed him in Belfast and he found himself going back to Antrim.

He said the defendant has re-commenced a relationship with his partner and there were no new allegations of violence.

District Judge Nigel Broderick said the defendant had 44 previous convictions including assaults.

He told the defendant: "These orders are important".

Jailing the defendant, the judge said the defendant is "categorised as a risk" not just to his partner "but to other women generally".