The survivor-victim found the strength to report the offences committed by Connor Hotchkiss after he called her 65 times in one day, during which he made repeated threats to kill both her and her children.
This prompted her to submit a request to the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, following which she discovered Hotchkiss was an extremely violent individual with a history of committing domestic abuse.
More commonly known as Clare’s Law following the tragic case of Clare Wood, who was murdered by her former partner in Greater Manchester in 2009, the DVDS was introduced in March 2014 to allow the police to disclose information about previous violent or abusive offending by an individual where this may help protect their partner or ex-partner.
The survivor-victim then found herself being stalked by Hotchkiss and reported his offending to the police. He was arrested and an investigation began, led by the West Surrey Domestic Abuse Team.
He was subsequently found guilty of stalking involving fear of violence and was sentenced this week at Guildford Crown Court.
He had already spent six months on remand and was not allowed to count any of his bail days against his 20-month imprisonment when he was sentenced. He was also issued with a restraining order until 2030.
Sergeant Toby Benson, from the West Surrey Domestic Abuse Team, said: “The initial response of our response officers and the thorough investigation carried out by my team, has demonstrated our holistic approach to dealing with offences involving violence against women and girls.
“Following the sentencing, the survivor-victim said that she had been incredibly happy with the entire process, which she described as seamless, and Surrey Police as a whole. She also said felt empowered and listened to throughout, that the initial response had been prompt, the quick arrest had put her mind at ease and that she couldn’t fault the efforts of Surrey Police.
“I would particularly like to highlight the work of the investigating officer, Donna White, who has conducted herself with the utmost professionalism and communicated constantly with the survivor-victim.
“As well as highlighting the effectiveness of the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, the survivor-victim was also supported by various outreach agencies and the longer-term support they have offered has given her peace of mind.
“This holistic approach has allowed the survivor-victim to feel empowered and supported, as well as resulting in a serial perpetrator being put behind bars for a significant time.”
