Former Tory councillor avoids jail after being found guilty of upskirting

A FORMER Conservative councillor has avoided prison after committing two upskirting offences.

Lee Hawthorne (41) was a member of Gloucester City Council when he attempted to film up the skirt of a woman in a TK Maxx store.

Following a police appeal, Hawthorne was arrested and subsequent investigations of computer equipment uncovered a 90-second video of a second upskirting offence, which had been recorded two months previously.

Hawthorne, a married father of two, later pleaded guilty to attempted voyeurism and voyeurism.

Bristol Crown Court heard the first offence took place in the fashion retailer in Gloucester city centre on June 27 2019.

CCTV taken from cameras inside the store showed Hawthorne follow his victim and crouch down twice behind an aisle of clothing to film underneath her skirt.

Ellen Mcanaw, prosecuting, said: “The defendant sees her and almost immediately removes his phone from his pocket.

“Police investigations show he is now turning on his camera and he takes another mobile phone out and covers that phone in order to conceal what he is doing. He is seen to crouch down twice behind her and that’s the point she sees him on the floor, arm outstretched towards her legs, and forms the opinion that he was attempting to take a photograph up her skirt.”

Hawthorne, of Abbeydale, Gloucester, received a ninemonth prison sentence, suspendedfortwoyears,andwas given a two-year community order.