The first person in Brighton has been jailed under new domestic violence laws after breaching an order stopping him contacting a woman he had abused for many years.
Kahal Sene, 43, of Sillwood Road, Brighton was sentenced to 28 days in prison on Tuesday for breaching the Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPO) he was given just days before.
Detective Chief Inspector Carwyn Hughes, who leads the Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: “Sene is the first person dealt with in Brighton and Hove under these new laws which only came into effect a month ago, and he has now been jailed for a month.
“This gives the victim some breathing space to decide what she wants to do and get any support she needs. This new law is all about protecting the victim and giving them that time away from an abusive relationship.
“Sene has been persistently abusive towards this woman for many years and this new law is helping to stop his behaviour and helps us protect and support her.”
“We take all calls about domestic abuse extremely seriously and the very fact that Sene has been sent to prison for breach of the order shows we will do all we can to protect the victim.”
The new law, which came in in June, gives police new powers to give extra protection to victims of domestic abuse.
The perpetrator, in this case Sene, was issued a Domestic Violence Protection Notice. This meant he was not allowed to make any contact with the victim.
The notice is activated as soon as they are released from custody and the police will be sought a full Domestic Violence Prevention Order (DVPO). Sene was given an order on Friday 4 July, which was to last 28 days.
However, on Monday 14 July, just 10 days later, he breached the condition of making contact with the victim and was arrested and was immediately brought in front of Brighton Magistrates’ Court. The magistrate sentenced him to one month in prison with immediate effect.
Since its introduction in June there have been 14 DVPOs in Sussex.
For further information about the way the notices and orders work, go to /help-centre/ask-us/domestic-abuse/what-is-a-domestic-violence-protection-order-(dvpo)
