Suppression granted against victims’ wishes
A man sentenced for secretly videoing three women was granted name suppression in the Christchurch District Court yesterday, against the wishes of his victims.
The reason for the name suppression being granted was also suppressed by Judge Murray Hunt.
Defence counsel for the 59-year-old unemployed man, John Westgate, said the man was under the care of two psychologists and was at a low risk of reoffending.
Judge Hunt said the man was being sentenced on three charges of making intimate visual recordings, two charges were representative.
The man had been taking photos of two of the three women over a long period, and once on the third woman.
When bathroom renovations were carried out he installed a two-way mirror so he could view them through a gap in the floorboards, and arranged that a vent from the shower could be removed, Judge Hunt said.
Police seized three cellphones, a laptop, and two portable hard drives containing a large number of images over a lengthy period.
Judge Hunt said it was prolonged, pre-determined behaviour of a despicable kind, on people who trusted him.
He said the man had got professional help too late, and it was no consolation to the victims.
He sentenced him to eight months home detention, 200 hours community work, and emotional harm payments for the three victims totalling $15,000.
Judge Hunt said the victims wanted the man named and shamed, but because of the suppressed reasons he couldn’t do it. He ordered the destruction of the equipment used in the offending.
Category: News
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