Councillor sentenced over TK Maxx upskirt shots

Lee Hawthorne was a Conservative councillor until his arrest in 2019 but served as an independent councillor until April

A former councillor who took pictures up a woman's skirt in TK Maxx has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Lee Hawthorne, 41, resigned from Gloucester City Council in April 2020, after he was arrested in July 2019.

CCTV footage showed him crouching down with his mobile phone to take pictures as the shopper was browsing clothes in the store on 27 June 2019.

He was sentenced to nine months in jail, suspended for two years, and 300 hours of community service.

When Hawthorne was arrested, police also found footage of another woman he had taken criminal photos of in April 2019.

One victim broke down in court as she said: "I don't want to go out on my own any more, and if I have to, I keep my journeys as short as possible.

"I hate how it has made me feel.

"I know I did nothing that day to encourage such degrading behaviour from Hawthorne but I do now judge every situation as a possible threat and keep my guard up."

'Become jumpy'

She added it had "scarred" her emotionally.

"I still carry the anxiety with me and have to deal with it regularly," she said.

"The incident has affected my trust in others. I become jumpy when I am around unknown males. I avoid situations that make me feel vulnerable."

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, added: "I think society sometimes makes it easy for this behaviour to happen, be OK, funny even. 'he was just having a cheeky peek' was one comment I heard.

"I find that sad and hope that people realise that it's not OK. It's intrusive, disgusting and most of all not wanted."

Hawthorne, of Abbeydale, Gloucester, admitted a charge of voyeurism and another of attempted voyeurism at Bristol Crown Court on 1 March.

'Horrible offences'

Hawthorne was elected as a Conservative city councillor in May 2016 but suspended from the group following his arrest.

He continued to sit as an independent councillor until his resignation on 27 April 2020.

Judge Martin Picton said the only reason unemployed Hawthorne was avoiding jail for his "horrible" offences was because his family was reliant on his support.

"You have brought yourself so low I don't think you will do it again," the judge told him.

Hawthorne will be included on the sex offenders register for seven years and will be the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same time.

Under that order police can request access to any picture-taking devices that he owns.