Norfolk sees record number of prosecutions against stalkers

It comes as the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) called on police forces to take urgent action to improve the way they handle reports of stalking and deal with victims.

The move is in response to a so-called "super-complaint" by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a charity which works to prevent violence and aggression against individuals and organisations, on behalf of the National Stalking Consortium. 

READ MORE: Norwich woman left paranoid by stalking of former partner

The most recent figures from the Ministry of Justice show that police prosecuted 37 stalking crimes in Norfolk over the past year, including breaches of stalking orders and racially or religiously motivated stalking.

Matthew Venthem was jailed for stalking four women and David Britcher was handed a six week suspended sentence (Image: Newsquest/Norfolk Constabulary)

This was an increase from 32 prosecutions the year before and the highest since records began in 2010.

Separate figures show Norfolk Constabulary recorded 6,200 stalking and harassment crimes in the year to March, down from 8,800 the year before.

Of the prosecutions, 27 resulted in a sentence, including four custodial sentences.

READ MORE: Stalker who targeted women in Norwich Market jailed

Online stalker Matthew Venthem, 25, from Great Massingham, was jailed for four years after using aliases to send four women messages purporting to be from other people.

In another case David Britcher, 81, was handed a six-week suspended jail term and banned from contact with both his estranged wife and niece after being convicted of stalking.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust filed a super-complaint, which allows designated bodies to raise widespread issues that could affect public confidence in policing, two years ago about how the police deal with stalking.

Stalking consumes a victim's world, said the Crown Prosecution Service (Image: PA)

The resulting IOPC report found the police response in many cases was "not good enough" and "victims were being let down".

READ MORE: Stalker threatened to set fire to home of his ex

Saskia Garner, head of policy and campaigns at the charity, said the true number of victims is much higher than those that are reported to the police and those cases that end up in criminal prosecutions.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said: "Stalking consumes a victim's world, they are forced to change their daily routines and often left in fear of their life."

They added the CPS does not "underestimate the devastating impact this has on victims".