Jailed: Shrewsbury man breached order by pushing his ex outside club
A Shrewsbury man banned from contacting his ex-girlfriend has been jailed for seven months after pushing her during a chance meeting outside a nightclub in the town.
Daniel Suter, of Whitehouse Gardens, Ditherington, was arrested after he was captured "pushing and barging" the woman on closed circuit cameras near the C21 nightspot, in Shrewsbury, on April 17.
It was the third time that the 30-year-old breached an indefinite restraining order preventing him from having any contact with her after he was previously arrested for offences against her.
Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said told the hearing at Shrewsbury Crown Court that Suter was first made subject to the order in March 2015 following an incident involving the victim.
“On April 17 police officers were alerted to a disturbance, in Abbey Foregate, and attended when most people had left the scene. On May 3 when the local neighbourhood officer checked the CCTV footage he identified the complainant and this defendant. He was arrested and the lady was spoken to. "She had been out drinking and has limited recollection of what happened. She says she was outside the club and saw the defendant. They argued in the street. He says that she spoke to him and he accepts that he should have left. He accepts that by pushing and barging he came into contact with her.
“The footage shows them on the path opposite the nightclub. The victim is facing away from the defendant who is barging and talking to her from behind. She is then seen walking into a pub and the defendant is talking outside to some males. "The prosecution concedes that it was limited contact. The incident is aggravated by his record,” Mr Jones added.
In March this year Suter, who has previous convictions including violent disorder and grievous bodily harm, was sentenced to a two-year community order, 35 rehabilitation activity days and ordered to attend the building relationships programme after slashing the woman’s car tyres resulting in a £300 repair bill last November. He had also breached the order by sending a series of text messages.
Suter admitted the latest breach at a hearing last month. Miss Debra White, mitigating, said: “This complaint is not as straightforward as it seems. She is having contact with him when it suits her.”
Judge Jim Tindal revoked the community order given in March and re-sentenced Suter to 12 weeks custody for the breach in November and 15 weeks custody for the latest breach, to be served consecutively minus time already spent on prison remand. He told Suter: “You have had your chances from the court. II you come before the court again committing further violent offences whether the lady has contacted you or not as far as I am concerned there is only one place that you are going back to again. "Let me make one thing crystal clear I do not care whether she contacts you. The order remains in place. You do not respond to her.”
Further offences of affray and assault were withdrawn after the prosecution offered no evidence.
