A pensioner is in court after repeatedly staring through the window at a couple who were watching TV naked.
Wirral Magistrates Court heard how Colin Roberts, 74, said he got “enjoyment” from staring through the windows of the female couple during his late-night walks. Roberts was later caught after one of the women checked their CCTV and saw the pensioner staring at them through the window.
The woman, who has not been named for legal reasons, discovered Roberts had looked through their window around eight times over the course of a month.
Later, when questioned by police, Roberts admitted to regularly looking through the couple’s window. Speaking to police, he said: “They were not just in their underwear, they were naked. It has been a long time since I have seen a young lady like that.”
Prosecuting, Matthew Dixon said: “The offence took place on September 6 last year. The victim was relaxing in the living room of her property with her wife.
“At approximately 10.25pm the victim noticed a silhouette of a man in a panel of the front door window which looks into the living room. That prompted her to look at her CCTV which monitors the front of the property.
“The defendant was seen to walk up to the address, look around the street to see if anyone was around, then he stepped up to the front door and peered for around one minute. He then carried on walking down the street.”
Mr Dixon added: “The CCTV stores footage for the past 30 days. She had cause to go back and check across that period of time. He walks up and looks through her door on some eight occasions.”
The Manchester Evening News reported both women have been left feeling distressed after the incidents took place.
Kirsty Ruddin, defending, said Roberts had “made a foolish decision” and that when he was interviewed by police he had been “very candid”. She added: “He went so far as to tell police he had been doing that. There had been some problems with his own relationship.
“When interviewed by the probation service about these offences, the defendant did state that he was struggling to distance himself from the location and the probation officer obviously challenged him why he had not walked a different way.
“He looked into the property rather than step away. It was all too easy to look in. In hindsight, he knows that he ought not have done and he has had time to reflect on this. He has now taken steps that show how much remorse this defendant has in relation to his actions and his behaviour and the impact on the complainants.”
Ms Ruddin added: “There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. He has cooperated with the probation service. He has complied well with any supervision he has been put on. His risk of reoffending in the future is assessed as very low.”
The court heard how Roberts pleaded guilty to observing a person doing a private act and harassment between August 14 and September 6 2023. Roberts has been sentenced to four weeks in custody.
Roberts has been ordered to sign the sex offenders register for seven years, pay each victim £500 each, complete 25 rehabilitation activity days, and is banned from contacting the couple for a year.
Sentencing Roberts, JP Robert Perry noted: “This matter quite clearly crosses the custody threshold because one offence aggravates the other such that the harassment showed a repetition in the offences and these offences quite clearly had a serious impact on the complainants.
“This was quite clearly a course of behaviour at night time which caused considerable distress.” Following the incident, Roberts, from The Wirral, said he is planning to move away from the area.
