Sheffield thug jailed after he breached restraining order and assaulted police officers

Sheffield Crown Court heard on October 13 how Kamran Kerr, aged 30, of Convent Walk, Broomhall, Sheffield, was originally given a one-year restraining order in May 2021, after he smashed a window at his ex-partner’s Sheffield home.

But prosecuting barrister Katherine White said Kerr breached the order when he visited his ex in December 2021, and punched and damaged a door. After she fled to a neighbour’s home the defendant kicked and damaged her neighbour’s door.

Ms White added that Kerr breached the order again during a subsequent visit to his ex-partner’s home two days later and he was arrested by police.

Kerr and his ex-partner briefly rekindled their relationship once the order had expired, according to Ms White, but following another separation he visited her home on August 17, caused some damage, took some items and struck her before he headbutted an attending police officer.

The judge - Recorder Anthony Dunne - told Kerr: “You were making progress but unfortunately on August 17 you threw it away – much of the progress you had made, or the benefit of it – by drinking again and assaulting your former partner and the police officer who had the misfortune of having to deal with you on that day.”

The defendant, who has 27 convictions for 41 offences, pleaded guilty to twice breaching a restraining order, three counts of criminal damage, an assault, a theft, and one count of assaulting a police officer. He also admitted assaulting another police officer during a separate incident in September, 2021, at McDonald’s on High Street, Sheffield, after he had been arrested by officers investigating a suspected assault.

Defence barrister Richard Adams described Kerr as a “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” character and he added that Kerr had said he was ‘embarrassed’, ‘ashamed’, and ‘mortified’ by his behaviour. Mr Adams added that Kerr had a troubled and difficult childhood and after his mother died in 2018 he turned to alcohol in times of distress.

But Mr Adams added that father-of-two Kerr has worked voluntarily for the homeless charity The Archer Project and the progress he had been making in his life has been taken away since he has been remanded in custody. Mr Adams said: “In 2018 his mother passed away. That appears to have been the catalyst that caused him to turn to drink at times of worry and distress. This is a 30-year-old man - in my submission, given all the evidence I have said – who is keen to address those behaviours.”

Recorder Dunne, who sentenced Kerr to 15 months of custody, told him: “The repeat breaches of orders put in place to protect others do mean that your offences can only be dealt with by the process of immediate custody. Your difficulties with alcohol go beyond a simple propensity to misuse alcohol. It seems you are addicted to alcohol and you have been trying to address that addiction for some time. And I take account of the fact you have actively taken steps to address that issue.”