A Wakefield man has been jailed for harassment after SmartWater evidence helped prove he had been in contact with the victim in breach of a court order. 

The victim had been provided with a SmartTag canister as part of a new initiative being used by West Yorkshire Police to prevent and detect repeat domestic abuse offences. The spray contains uniquely coded liquid which, once dry, is invisible to the naked eye but glows under UV light.

In an incident earlier this month, the perpetrator visited the victim’s address while the subject of a non-molestation order. The victim was able to spray him with the SmartTag solution and the unique tag was found on his clothing on his arrest.

He was swiftly charged and convicted of breach of a non-molestation order and harassment and was jailed for 24 weeks. A two-year restraining order was also put in place.   

Superintendent Lee Berry, of West Yorkshire Police’s Safeguarding Central Governance Unit, said: “No-one should have to live in fear in their own home. We are always looking at new ways to reduce and detect domestic abuse and this Wakefield Community Safety Partnership-funded initiative is an innovative approach to protecting victims and ensuring offenders are brought to justice.

“The victim in this case was visited by officers from Wakefield Adult Safeguarding Unit and she told them how having the SmartTag canister made her feel very protected and much more safe and how she would recommend it to other victims. 

“I would urge anyone who has been the victim of domestic abuse - whether that’s physical abuse, controlling or coercive behaviour, harassment or stalking - to please report it to the police so that we can help you to feel safe again.”