A prolific offender who was banned from Pontypridd town centre to protect the public and businesses has been jailed after breaching the order.
Last November, Lee Resoli, of no fixed abode, was made subject of a three-year Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) banning him from the town centre due to his persistent shoplifting and other offending.
Last week, he was seen in Taff Street and was immediately arrested and later jailed for 28 days by Pontypridd Magistrates’ Court for breach of ASBO.
The case once again highlights the extensive legal powers ASBOs allow.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Community Safety Partnership, which secured the order, carefully considered the sanctions to be placed on Resoli, to fully cover his offending and behaviour.
These far-reaching sanctions meant any offence Resoli had a tradition of covering were included in the ASBO, so further offending would constitute breach of ASBO.
Thanks to strong partnerships between agencies and the courts, breach of ASBO means immediate arrest and, in this case, an immediate jail sentence from the courts.
Without the ASBO in force, any offence would have to be dealt with via the traditional route of arrest, charge and then a later court appearance.
