Alarm firm security for Michelle

3:20pm Tuesday 20th November 2007

A HI-TECH helping hand has been offered to a young mother who suffered a fractured eye socket when she was attacked by her ex-partner.

The Press reported last week how Michelle Fowler was terrified after discovering that Gary Smith was being freed after serving little more than three months of a 12-month jail sentence for the assault.

Michelle, 21, of Barlby, near Selby, said she had believed Smith would remain locked up into next year, and she feared she would not be safe despite a restraining order against him.

"I feel the criminal justice system has let me down. I think it is disgusting," she said.

Her furious father, Gordon, said he had been told by prison service staff that Smith had been released so soon partly because he fitted criteria for early release under a Government scheme to tackle prison overcrowding.

But now Stuart Stead, the managing director of Alert Ltd, based in Norton, Malton, has contacted the newspaper to say he would like to allay her fears by giving her the free loan of a sophisticated new alarm system.

"I was alarmed when I read your story about Michelle Fowler's unfortunate situation," he said.

"I would like to offer our Personal Safe-T service to Michelle, free of charge for a two-month period."

He said the service involved the use of an Identicom, an easy-to-wear and unobstrusive device that worked as an ingenious self-protection alarm system, giving Michelle the ability to call for help at the press of a single button, with the call also being recorded.

"This call can be made at any time of day or night into our dedicated support centre," Stuart said.

"Michelle could press the button at any time when she felt threatened or intimidated in the knowledge that all of the conversation and any other verbal activity within range of the Identicom device would be picked up and recorded automatically."

He said the Identicom resembled an ordinary ID card holder but concealed mobile phone technology, and anyone wearing it could raise an alarm quickly and discreetly by pressing the alert button.

"The operators at Alert Limited take ownership of each alert call they receive and follow it through to its conclusion."

Michelle said she appreciated the offer, which would give her a feeling of added security, particularly at Christmas.

She said the probation service had confirmed to her that Smith, 24, of Danes Court, Riccall, who was convicted by a jury at York Crown Court on August 3 of causing actual bodily harm to Michelle, had been released last week.

She said she had not suffered any problems so far, adding: "It's a case of so far, so good."