A Swindon man has been banned from Swindon Town Centre after years of carrying out anti-social behaviour.
On 16 August 2017 an interim injunction was issued to Kevin Wolton (35) by Swindon County Court, which prohibited him from:
(i) shouting or swearing aggressively, or otherwise acting in an abusive or threatening manner in the area of Swindon Town Centre.
(ii) being in possession of an open container of alcohol in any street or public place in the town centre area.
(iii) begging anywhere in the Borough of Swindon.
This interim injunction was issued pending a full hearing on Tuesday 10 October 2017.
On 10 October 2017, having given further consideration to the injunction application, Swindon County Court ordered that in addition to the prohibitions imposed on 16 August 2017 Wolton is prohibited from entering, or being in, the area of Swindon Town Centre edged in red on the attached map, with the following exceptions:
(i) he may have access to Change, Grow, Live (CGL) in Temple Street, Swindon.
(ii) he may have access to the Pilgrim Centre at Regent Circus, Swindon between 12 noon and 2pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays only; access to both CGL & the Pilgrim Centre to be via Temple Street accessed from Commercial Road and by no other route.
(iii) he may have access to the Food Bank facility located in Carfax Street, Swindon on Thursday evenings.
(iv) he may have access to the Whalebridge Medical Centre.
(v) he may have access to the officers of Shearer & Co at Fleming Way, Swindon, and
(vi) he may have access to Swindon Magistrates Court, Swindon County Court and Swindon Crown Court if required to attend any of those courts.
The court issued a power of arrest to this injunction, meaning that if he is found to have breached it he can be arrested.
The injunction is valid until the 16 August 2018.
This follows a history of anti-social behaviour – on 25 January 2013 Swindon Magistrates issued Kevin Wolton with an indefinite Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO); an order which was granted as a result of a police operation to tackle persistent anti-social behaviour associated with street drinkers in Swindon Town Centre.
In the past 12 months Wolton’s alcohol fuelled anti-social behaviour and begging, across the town centre, has become more and more noticeable, affecting members of the public.
As a result, this prompted the review of the ASBO and it was deemed that the conditions of this ASBO were not sufficient to protect the community from his anti-social behaviour.
Legislative changes prompted the removal of the ASBO and Swindon Borough Council sought an injunction under the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime & Policing Act 2014 – hence the injunction being issued.
PC Paul Bezzant, Swindon Town Centre Community Co-ordinator said: “We have worked closely with the Swindon Borough Council Anti-Social Behaviour Team, inSwindon and local businesses to tackle the evolving and ever persistent nature of Kevin Wolton’s offending.
“We are pleased the court have acknowledged the detrimental impact and risk his offending has caused and we welcome the conditions in order to reduce the impact he is having on the community.
“We are committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and encourage a dialogue with our communities to tackle such incidents, if you are affected by such behaviour please contact us on 101 or anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.”
