A butcher who was branded a murderer by an animal rights protestor has welcomed an order banning her from being within five metres of his premises and others she attacked.
Graham Fiddy found “murderer” and other vile graffiti daubed across the front of his butcher’s shop on Aylsham Road, Norwich which also had two large plate-glass windows smashed in an attack in October last year.
In fact it was one of a number of attacks committed by Gemma Barnes, 30, who also targeted other butchers, including Hazels in Sprowston, Litcham Butcher's shop, Litcham and Hayley's Big Baps on Aylsham Road, Norwich in a series of attacks between May and October last year.
Barnes, of Dover Street, Norwich, has been made the subject of a two-year criminal behaviour order (CBO) banning her from being within five metres of a number of butchers' in the county, including Fiddy's Butchers, Hazels, Litcham Butchers and Hayley's Big Baps.
The order was put in place earlier this summer after she was convicted at Norwich Magistrates Court in March of a number of counts of criminal damage.
She was also fined £450 and ordered to pay £250 in compensation to Hazels Butchers and Fiddy's Butchers.
Mr Fiddy, 63, said he welcomed the order being put in place by the court and hoped it would prevent future attacks.
He said: "She deserves what she got - you can’t go around doing that sort of thing to other people’s property.”
Mr Fiddy added: “I welcome it as long as it keeps her away from meat premises.
"If she is going to keep causing trouble to butcher’s life that is why they’ve got to do it.
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but there’s a way of going about it."
As previously reported, following the attack, which is understood to have happened in the early hours of Thursday October 8 last year, Mr Fiddy was heartened by the response of customers and the community.
He said: “It’s nice to see people have been rallying round. It’s been lovely.”
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