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More than 3,000 violent crimes in the North East were dealt with just an apology in the last year, and so-called 'community resolutions' were even used for serious offences such as stalking and child cruelty.

Figures from the Home Office reveal that there were 91,906 violent offences brought to a conclusion in our region in the 12 months leading to June 2019.

Of those, 3,495 were settled out of court in what’s known as a 'community resolution' - an informal settlement that can include offenders apologising to victims or paying compensation for any criminal damage.

It means the offender escapes prosecution or a formal warning.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

Northumbria Police says it only ever uses community resolutions with the full support of victims.

However, Sue Hills, whose daughter Alice Ruggles was killed by her obsessed ex boyfriend Trimann Dhillon has today told of her horror at hearing that community resolutions have been used in 31 stalking cases last year.

The 58-year-old, who has been campaigning to raise awareness of talking since Alice's death in 2016, said: "I'm shocked by this. The new guidelines for stalking behaviour is that it is fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repetitive,(FOUR), the point is that perpetrators are obsessed.

"How easy for them to apologise for the behaviour, then to continue doing it, and how convenient for them that they are given a free opportunity to contact their victim?

Guidelines on the use of community resolutions say they should only be used for 'less serious' offences such as low-level criminal damage, low value theft, minor assaults that don’t cause injury, and antisocial behavior.

(Image: handout)

They also state that the victim should be consulted before a community resolution goes ahead, and that the offender must admit they committed the crime.



Most of the violent crimes that led to a community resolutions in the North East did not result in injury - in line with the guidelines.

However, one in every four were more serious cases that did involve injury - 861 violent crimes in total.



They included 838 cases of assault with injury, 12 of assault with injury on a constable, four of endangering life, four of racially or religiously aggravated assault with injury and three of assault with intent to cause serious harm.

Other crimes deemed not to have caused injury included 1,078 cases of harassment, 992 of assault without injury, 388 of malicious communications, 53 of cruelty to children, 52 of assault without injury on a constable, 31 of stalking, 22 of threats to kill, 12 of racially or religiously aggravated harassment, five of racially or religiously aggravated assault without injury and one of child abduction.



The figures cover crimes dealt with by three police forces, Northumbria Police, Durham Constabulary and Cleveland Police.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police explained that there are circumstances in which community resolutions can be the best outcome for everyone involved.

"Community resolutions are still used by officers for a range of offences and can be a positive solution," he explained.

"They are only used for low-level offences and when the victim supports its use. They would not be used when victims are vulnerable, if they wanted to pursue a criminal prosecution or if the crime has been committed by a repeat offender.

"If a community resolution is the best form of disposal for both sides then it can be a positive outcome for all involved.

"Community resolutions could still be used to deal with some violent incidents, for example, when two friends have been involved in an altercation and an assault has taken place. In this instance, the victim may not want a criminal prosecution and so a community resolution can be a positive solution.

"The use of community resolutions for offences of sexual activity with a child is also very rare but may be used when those involved are both young teenagers, in a consensual relationship, and a criminal prosecution would not be in the public interest.

“Any use of community resolutions in these circumstances would be with the full support of both the victim and the offender where there were no existing concerns around safeguarding.”

Northumbria University graduate Alice was murdered by Trimaan Dhillon on October 12, 2016.

(Image: PA)

The former soldier had launched a campaign of frightening stalking and harassment after their brief relationship ended, before cutting the 24-year-old’s throat at her flat on Rawling Road in Bensham, Gateshead.

Dhillon, whose regiment was based in Edinburgh, was found guilty of murder and jailed for life.

Following Alice’s murder it came to light that vital opportunities to help Alice had been missed.

She called police just 11 days before she was killed asking for help. She said she had become “terrified” by Dhillon’s stalking, which had seen him hack into her social media accounts and make sinister visits to her home.

The findings of an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, revealed that a Northumbria Police officer failed to record Dhillon’s behaviour as stalking.

The soldier was not arrested but instead issued with a police information notice for harassment, the report explained.

However, despite finding that two officers involved had a “case to answer for misconduct” the PC and sergeant kept their jobs and were dealt with via management action and further training.

Earlier this year, a Domestic Homicide Review into Alice’s killing was published which highlighted how on one occasion Alice was asked what action she wanted police to take.

A step that was criticized.

Following Alice's death her family, who live in Leicester, set up the Alice Ruggles Trust and have worked tirelessly to raise both professional and public awareness, as well as campaigning for improved legal measures to deal with stalking.

And Dr Hills believes that as all victims of stalking are vulnerable, the only safe approach to dealing with these crimes is zero tolerance.

She added: "If you look back to Alice's trial, Dhillon sent a letter of "apology" to Alice after she reported him to the police.

"The next she heard from him was when he killed her, just a few days later. If this type of approach alone is used in stalking cases we are simply handing out licences to continue stalking.

"The best response has to be a charge of stalking, zero tolerance of any future stalking incidents and a stalking protection order."

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Child cruelty can be devastating for children and injure them physically and emotionally. We do not know the exact circumstances around the cases in question but it is essential that community resolutions are never used for serious cases.

“Wherever concerns are raised about child cruelty, including occasions where a community resolution is used, there must be an absolute focus on ensuring children are kept safe from harm, and police and local authorities must work together to help protect children from abuse.”