Grant Hodnett, a chronic stalker who violated a restraining order, has been returned to prison just weeks after his release on license. Grant Hodnett, hailing from Cheshire, received an 18-month prison sentence in February.
He was found guilty of stalking one lady and violating a restraining order established to safeguard a second woman he had previously stalked. Grant Hodnett, aged 42, was released on parole in September after serving half of his sentence.
Grant Hodnett was mandated by his stringent licence restrictions to notify his probation officer of any emerging relationships. In late November, Cheshire Police were informed by a neighbouring force that Grant Hodnett had commenced a connection with a woman he encountered on an online dating application.
The Harm Reduction Unit, Cheshire’s specialised team for stalking investigations and risk management, comprising probation officers and NHS mental health professionals, examined the circumstances. He was discovered to have neglected to notify the probation agency about his new relationship or his utilisation of dating applications, despite having numerous opportunity to do so.
Grant Hodnett, of Coniston Avenue, Winsford, became subject to an emergency prison recall last Thursday (December 5). He was arrested less than 24 hours later and will now serve the remainder of his 18-month prison sentence.
Police Constable Keith Terrill, of the Harm Reduction Unit, said: “Grant Hodnett’s actions have again shown he is either unable or unwilling to adhere to conditions placed upon him. Thanks to swift information sharing and the integration of the Harm Reduction Unit with the Probation Service, we were able to quickly identify the developing risk Grant Hodnett posed and safeguard the public by recalling him to prison.
“I hope that this demonstrates how Cheshire Police, and our partners, continue to monitor stalking perpetrators and serial domestic abuse perpetrators long after investigations and court cases have ended, and that we will use every tool and power available to us to protect the public from the risks they pose.”
Grant Hodnett’s prison recall comes as the Manchester Evening News is campaigning for a change in the law to introduce a minimum jail sentence for people convicted of breaking restraining orders, and proper monitoring of people with restraining orders, including via electronic tagging. The campaign follows the tragic death of Caroline Gore, from Wigan, at the hands of her former partner.
The campaign has been backed by Caroline’s family who believe the 44-year-old would ‘still be here’ had her killer not been spared jail for breaching his restraining order just weeks before he killed her. More than 63,000 people have now signed the M.E.N.’s change.org petition, which is calling for a change in the law to protect victims of domestic abuse.
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