Property Closure Order aims to tackle woman’s anti-social behaviour

Teesside Magistrates granted the order on 25 Colenso Street following an application by the multi-agency Hartlepool Community Safety Team.

Evidence was submitted that the tenant, Kelly Poad, had repeatedly breached the terms of a Community Protection Notice served on her by Hartlepool Community Safety Team, and despite repeated arrests and convictions she continued to target eight residents of the street with her anti-social behaviour.

The team decided to pursue the Closure Order which is supported by the landlord, as way of immediately removing Ms Poad from the area and away from other residents.

The application was supported by a number of witness statements and victim impact statements from households targeted by 45-year-old Ms Poad who moved into Colenso Street in 2019.

All of the resident victims and their households are vulnerable due to their age, illness, disability or personal circumstances, and they have all been seriously affected by Ms Poad’s anti-social behaviour.

Her behaviour includes being drunk and disorderly, harassment, targeting of residents, assault, criminal damage, verbal abuse, and threatening and intimidating behaviour, along with playing excessively loud and persistent music at all hours of the day and night.

 

Councillor Shane Moore, Chair of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership and Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “A single individual should not be able to make other people’s lives a misery in this way, and I am pleased that the Hartlepool Community Safety Team has been able to secure this Closure Order.

“A lot of work was required to gather the evidence needed to support the application, and I would like to thank everyone who played a part.

“I particularly want to praise those residents who were willing to come forward and provide us with vital evidence despite being subjected to the most horrendous abuse.”

The Closure Order will remain in force for a period of three months. A breach is punishable with an unlimited fine, imprisonment of up to 6 months or both. Anyone who witnesses an order being breached should call the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.