AIBU to be alarmed after a defendant contacted me?

[ShapeofanLonmyforehead]

I was a witness for an incident that took place near my home some months ago. It ended up going to court and although I didn’t attend in person, my statement was provided in court. I was assured it was all anonymous as the person in question is violent.

fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, this individual has written to me from prison (not yet sentenced) offering me money to write to them. The letter is hand written and contains my full name and address. I am absolutely livid that they’ve somehow got my information, I’ve rang the police who sent me a text later on to say it’s a non-reportable crime.. and the witness support agent person emailed to say she’s passed the information on to the case lead, but I’ve heard nothing back in weeks and I just want to know how in the world he got my information and why he’s been allowed to write to me with bribes.

I have two young kids at home, the last thing I want is some POS contacting me.

OP states it uses her full name and address.

Surely thats a breach of privacy thats not good at all.
No wonder you feel how you do don't take being fobbed off by the police and contact the prison.
Do you have a solicitor or anyone that could give advice as to why your address has been made public knowledge to this person.
To block all correspondence but also knowing your address anyway is surely a massive fuck up by someone.

Nonsense. The defence team gets sent copies of all the evidence by the prosecution, and they not only can but should give copies to the accused. If the police or CPS left an address on there, it's down to them, but the chances are that they didn't and the accused found out OP's address from the other available details.

Contact a Solicitor & ask their advice. There's a serious breach of GDPR & it could be classed as witness intimidation & also bribing you could be an offence as well. Anytime you speak with someone ask them to follow it up in an email so you have a paper trail & evidence to back yourself.

Why is it automatically a GDPR breach?

Going to a solicitor would be way more expensive than contacting the police and/or the CPS.

How would he get all the names and addresses?

this is unbelievable! I am so sorry this is happening to you.

but after hearing Jody Riley story and how police "acted" nothing in this country will surprise me anymore

This, this this, definitely.

Electoral roll, phone book, nextdoor app...

He got all suspended sentences. So he’s out.
sentences included breaching protection orders, so clearly he doesn’t give a shit who tells him what to or not to do.

I’ve written to the MP, I am just so frustrated.

Police had admitted to a GDPR breach on their end, but that’s it. No apology, no investigation. Just ‘there’s been a GDPR breach on our end’ 🙃

That's appalling. There must be someone else you can go to. Does your MP have a surgery soon?

I’m not sure what a surgery is? I’ve got to be honest. I feel a bit out of depth with this complaint. I’ve never had to do anything like this and I’m so angry about it I don’t want to just let it go and see what happens. I feel like I deserve answers.

It's when your MP sits in his office and members of their constituency can go and speak to them face to face.

How did he write from prison after the trial then?!

There’s usually a gap between conviction and sentence of a few weeks (unless it’s a straightforward fine or similar). If he was remanded, he’ll have stayed in until he was sentenced.

That's awful OP!
I have a really identifiable name, I wont give any witness statements going forwards!

Shouldn't they get a massive fine from the Information Commissioner for the GDPR breach?

How are they offering to protect you? What if he comes to your home? I think they need to say something about this other than a brief explanation.

Do you have legal advice on your home insurance.. if so, it might be worth consulting them. This was badly handled by them and they've admitted as much.

A GDPR breach whereby the offender was given your address? Chief constable complaint territory, that is.

This. He was remanded in custody, and wrote to me before trial as he mentioned going to trial soon. He was then sentenced.

Several of us have told you where to go from here - report it to the Information Commissioner - it is their job to investigate and impose sanctions for GDPR breaches.

https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

literally what they exist for.

Someone was on remand for an offence and then convicted and got a suspended sentence? That doesn’t really go together. You wouldn’t be on remand for an offence which wasn’t serious and then if it was serious you wouldn’t get a suspended sentence. I’m confused.