Derry man sentenced for breaching Violent Offences Prevention Order
Gerard Givens (35) of Bonds Hill in Derry was charged on January 28 after failing to reside at his registered address as part of his VOPO
A man has appeared at Derry Magistrate's Court charged with breaching a violent offences prevention order.
Gerard Givens (35) of Bonds Hill in Derry was charged on January 28 after failing to reside at his registered address as part of his VOPO.
Givens described as a category three violent offender, is legally required to inform police of any address he is residing at and is prohibited from staying anywhere else without police approval.
Police were told by staff at the hostel he was staying in that he hadn't spent the night there.
Defence solicitor Paddy MacDermott said that Givens has spent 'lots of time in custody', adding that the offence 'wasn't a case of not staying' at the address, but rather that he didn't come back until the morning.
He said that no new offences had been committed.
Givens was sentenced to two months in custody, suspended for two years.