A CHEF who breached a Stalking Protection Order and set fire to two sheds has been jailed.

Kefayet Hussain, 28, of Grand Parade, St Leonards, was given a Stalking Protection Order (SPO) in 2020 following numerous reports of harassment towards two people, one of whom was known to him. 

The order prevented him from attending their address in Willingdon Avenue.

In July 2021, the victims were on a night out in Hastings town centre when they saw Hussain in a bar. 

There was no interaction between them and the victims left the venue, returned home and went to sleep.

The Argus:

Later, they woke to the sound of Hussain shouting and kicking a car parked outside their address. 

One of the victims went outside to confront Hussain,who then pulled a large kitchen knife from his trousers before running from the scene.

The victim then noticed two sheds on fire at the property - one less than a metre from their home - and called emergency services.

Police attended the scene and began to carry out an area search for the suspect. 

Hussain was spotted on Battle Road and as officers made a move to arrest him, he fled and was seen discarding two objects in a garden in Hollington Old Lane - later confirmed to be two knives.

Hussain was found hiding under a parked van a short while later, and was arrested on suspicion of arson, two counts of criminal damage, possession of a knife and breaching his SPO.

He pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court on Monday, February 14 and was later sentenced to 99 weeks imprisonment in total: 36 weeks for possession of a knife; 63 weeks for arson to run consecutively; 50 weeks for breach of an SPO to run concurrently; and three weeks for each count of criminal damage to run concurrently. 

The Stalking Prevention Order remains in place until June 2022.