Lord of the Dance
Violent man who fled England for Northern Ireland after assaulting ex-partner is jailed
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Violent man who fled England for Northern Ireland after assaulting ex-partner is jailed

A VIOLENT man who assaulted his ex-partner before fleeing to Northern Ireland has been jailed for almost three years.

Gary Clark, 30, of no fixed abode, also breached non-molestation orders that were in place to protect two former partners.

On Tuesday, October 19 at Luton Crown Court, Clark was jailed for two years and 11 months.

"We would like to recognise the bravery of the victim for coming forward," said Detective Constable Brendan Street of Bedfordshire Police.

"We are also really grateful for the support of our colleagues in Northern Ireland, as they played a big part in apprehending Clark and bringing him to justice."

Fled arrest

Clark fled Bedfordshire in May as police attempted to arrest him.

He was eventually tracked to Northern Ireland and arrested before being brought back to Bedfordshire.

He pleaded guilty to two breaches of non-molestation orders, assault, criminal damage and failing to surrender to lawful custody.

Non-molestation orders are usually issued to victims of domestic violence to prevent their abusers from contacting or intimidating them or their children.

"Non-molestation orders are put in place for good reason to protect victims," added DC Street.

"Clark had no regard for these really important orders and this case demonstrates that we take any breaches extremely seriously.

"Hopefully this case will serve as a deterrent to violent offenders and warn anyone committing domestic abuse that we will continue to pursue them regardless where they are."