A man who obsessively stalked his wife and “threatened to kill her” has been given Hertfordshire’s first full Stalking Protection Order (SPO). The five-year order, granted at St Albans Magistrates’ Court on Monday, February 8, is also the first of its kind in the country as it was obtained without support from the victim. If the defendant from Watford breaches the terms of the SPO, he will be arrested. “This is really powerful new legislation which gives protection to those who are being stalked obsessively,” said Detective Inspector Fay Tooley from the Domestic Abuse Investigation Safeguarding Unit (DAISU). She added: “These kinds of predatory behaviours can escalate putting many victims’ lives at risk. An SPO goes a long way to protecting victims, whether or not they wish to support a police prosecution.”