A “violent” and “dangerous” man was found hiding in a cupboard as he breached a strict court order just hours after it was imposed.
Benjamin Davies Bland, 39, was made the subject of a domestic violence protection order (DVPO) by magistrates only yesterday.
This was requested by police and prohibits him from using or threatening violence towards the woman, and from contacting her in any way for 28 days.
But Bland was back at Carlisle magistrates’ court today following a quickfire breach of the order, which was imposed despite objections from the woman that police are seeking to protect from harm.
Tom Young, prosecuting, said a police officer had visited the woman’s Carlisle home on Tuesday at 10pm to conduct a welfare check and ensure Bland wasn’t there.
“He searched the master bedroom and found Mr Bland hiding in a cupboard,” said Mr Young. Police had sought the DVPO after Bland was reportedly violent towards the woman last weekend by “pulling her hair by such force it had dislodged hair extensions”.
The woman was deemed “highly vulnerable”, suffered from various mental health conditions and was a “long-standing victim of domestic violence”. However, she did not support the actions of Cumbria police despite officers harbouring concerns that “she will come to further harm at Mr Bland’s hand”.
Bland was viewed as a “dangerous individual”, said Mr Young, with several convictions for violence; “some of which involved violence of the most serious kind”.
There was also a history of domestic violence towards previous partners. There had previously been “cautious optimism” that the order could provide the woman with “respite, to consider her position and seek support without any assistance from him”, said the prosecutor.
John Smith gave mitigation for Bland, previously of Helvellyn Street, Keswick, and latterly of Carlisle. Bland had an autism diagnosis and there had been a misunderstanding by him after Tuesday’s court hearing which meant he left in “somewhat of a confused state”.
He had both arrived at court — and left — with the woman that day. Magistrates jailed Bland for 14 days. He was also reminded the DVPO still has time to run after his release.
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