A domestic violence protection order has been refused by the court despite the victim having reportedly suffered significant harm.
Wiltshire Police applied for the civil order at Swindon Magistrates Court on 28 July following an incident involving a man and woman in Trowbridge.
Domestic violence protection orders, known as DVPOs, are imposed to legally prohibit contact between a suspect and victim for up to 28 days.
It’s often used by the police to force a ‘break’ between a couple following an incident of domestic abuse – usually before the investigation is finalised.
In this case, the court refused a DVPO application against man, aged in his 50s from Trowbridge.
Wiltshire Police applied for the order after a woman allegedly came to “significant harm”. The court accepted that on the balance of probabilities, she did suffer said harm.
Official documents show that the DVPO was refused on the basis that the victim relies on the defendant for her medication.
It said: “It is clear that significant harm has been caused on the balance of probabilities.
“However, the protected person sees Mr [redacted] as her carer and the court are not confident that she would not be put at risk of significant harm if he is not there to administer her medication.”
