Ordeal over as man cleared of ‘Peeping Tom’ accusation

WALKED INTO LADIES’ LOO

AN engineer was subjected to a yearlong court ordeal accused of being a Peeping Tom and threatened with jail after he accidentally walked into a ladies’ lavatory while working at a science research facility.

Alexander McCue, 25, had been uninstalling an air conditioning unit when he darted into the unlocked cubicle to a take an urgent comfort break - only to find a female chemistry student sitting inside.

The woman, who had been on a work placement at the Hexagon facility in Blackley, pulled up her clothing and fled the lavatory in a panic - but she then subsequently reported McCue to security staff, claiming he had flashed at her.

McCue was later charged with an allegation of observing a person doing a private act for sexual gratification an offence which carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail.

At Manchester magistrates court, McCue, from Hyde, faced a day-long trial but was cleared of the charge after insisting he thought he was about to use the men’s toilet and ‘froze’ when he saw the woman.

The university student said she was in the toilet closest to the door, a disabled lavatory with an outward-opening door.

“The man came in, closed the door behind him and locked it,” she said.

“I stood up to pull up my trousers, I shouted and he said ‘it’s ok, it’s ok.’ But he was undoing his trousers with the door locked. I pushed him and shouted then unlocked the door and ran.

Alexander McCue outside Manchester magistrates court, right

“He would have locked the door with his left hand but he was also masturbating with his right hand through his boxer shorts. His trousers must have been undone before he came in.”

She added: “He absolutely was masturbating. There was time for him to make the decision to come in. It was intentional - the door was locked.”

McCue told the hearing: “I was working on the roof before moving inside to the cafeteria as I had to uninstall the air conditioner. I was inside the cafeteria to do an electricity test from inside and I asked where the toilet was. I rushed round the corner to the first door, it is my own fault I didn’t check and I rushed into the first cubicle as it was unlocked.

“The lock was on green I thought and I pushed it open but it is obviously a pull door so I must have pulled. I had my belt in my hand which was half undone. Then I saw the person in front of me and she jumped up and barged me out of the way asking me what I was doing and then left the toilet.”

McCue’s lawyer Caroline Wilbraham said: “He did check the door - it was green, he opened it, there was just the one mistake that he didn’t check whether it was the male or female toilets. The main mistakes we would say are made by the complainant with regard to what she believes had taken place.”

Finding McCue not guilty, magistrates told him: “The evidence from the defendant was consistent from the incident. It was plausible and we have taken into account your good character.”