Man, 48, banned from town centre after 147 incidents
A PERSISTENT offender has been banned from Bridgend town centre for the next five years after behaving aggressively towards shop and bank staff.
Police said there were 147 incidents involving Gavin Povey – 72 of them relating to anti-social behaviour.
Officers and the Safer Bridgend Partnership successfully applied to the courts for a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).
A South Wales Police spokeswoman said that since moving to Bridgend County Borough in 2015, Povey, formerly of Dinam Street, Nantymoel, proved a persistent problem for the police and partner agencies.
She said that in just two years, he racked up a lengthy offending record, which includes offences against the person, offences against property and 10 public order offences. A total of 147 occurrences are logged against him during that period – 72 of them relating to anti-social behaviour.
Police said the 48-yearold is already banned from a number of shops and banks in the town centre due to his often aggressive behaviour towards staff and customers.
In conjunction with the Safer Bridgend Partnership, South Wales Police’s anti-social behaviour team applied to Bridgend Magistrates’ Court to have a CBO imposed against the 48-year-old.
Under new anti-social behaviour legislation introduced in 2014, the CBO replaces the Anti Social Behaviour order (Asbo).
It aims to enable agencies and communities to deal with persistently antisocial individuals who are also engaged in criminal activity. Imposed for a specific period, breaching the order has tough criminal sanctions, with a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The court granted the CBO for five years – the first successful application for the partnership.
As part of the order, Povey must not:
Be drunk, consume alcohol or be in possession of any open container of alcoholic drink in any public place within England and Wales, other than a licensed premises;
Enter any premises from which he has already been banned or excluded; or
Enter Bridgend Town Centre, other than to attend a pre-arranged appointment.
PC Natalie Harris, of the Community Safety Partnership, said: “Gavin Povey failed to engage with support agencies and caused significant problems within Bridgend town centre with his anti- social and often aggressive behaviour towards staff and customers.
“The CBO application was made in an effort to protect the local community from Povey’s outbursts of anger and what would now appear to be his propensity to pose in- discriminate violence towards anyone who is near him.
“We are pleased with the result.”