The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A man who was previously homeless has been given a suspended sentence for repeatedly breaching a restraining order.
Kaspars Blanks (41) carried on going to an address in London Road despite a 12-month court order preventing him from doing so.
On two occasions he stayed overnight in the back garden, magistrates in Boston were told on Wednesday.
Blanks, now of Chestnut Avenue, pleaded guilty to harassing the daughter of his former partner, who lives with her mother and child at the property.
The court was told that Blanks went to the address at 7pm on March 5.
Prosecutor Alexis Mercer said: “He asked to be let in because he had nowhere to go but she refused and told him to leave or she would call the police.
“He refused to leave and she called the police, and that led to him eventually leaving the property.
“Over the next two days the defendant came and went.”
When Blanks knocked while “in drink” on March 7, the door was not opened.
“He spent the night in their garden,” said Miss Mercer.
In the morning, he knocked again and this time the mother opened the door and Blanks started shouting before the door was shut and locked.
He left, only to return after 9pm that night, being refused entry and staying in the garden again.
The following morning police were called and Blanks was arrested.
The court was told it was the second time a restraining order had been imposed on Blanks to protect the woman and her mother.
“Whilst I’m not unsympathetic to the defendant’s homelessness, if I can put it bluntly, that was not this victim’s problem and he shouldn’t have been pestering the victim and her mother,” said Miss Mercer.
Helen Coney, mitigating, said Blanks accepted his behaviour was wrong and had taken steps to address the cause of the offending by finding accommodation.
“At the time he was street homeless – not sofa surfing but literally sleeping rough,” added the solicitor.
Blanks was given eight weeks’ custody, suspended for two years, and a three-year restraining order was imposed.
He was also told to pay £154 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
