Stefan Foleher

Stefan Foleher, a 26-year-old man from Prescott Street in Halifax, West Yorkshire, appeared at Bradford Crown Court where he was sentenced for voyeuristic behaviour involving the taking of intimate photographs of a woman without her consent. The court heard that Foleher, who had a prior conviction for rape in 2015 when he was a juvenile, for which he received a 21-month sentence, had been found in possession of these illicit images on his mobile phone.

Prosecutor Jessica Lister informed the court that the photographs were discovered in the deleted folder of Foleher's device after his behaviour was reported to the police. During discussions with a probation officer, Foleher admitted to taking the pictures but claimed he had deleted them. He further confessed that his intention was to use the images 'for masturbation purposes' had he not removed them. This admission underscored the non-consensual and exploitative nature of his actions.

The victim, who was present in court, delivered a poignant victim personal statement detailing the profound impact of Foleher's actions on her life. She described feeling 'violated and unsafe' as a result, leading her to install security cameras at her home and plan to relocate to escape the ongoing distress. Her testimony highlighted the lasting trauma inflicted by such invasions of privacy.

In mitigation, defence counsel Paul Canfield acknowledged the gravity of Foleher's previous rape conviction but noted it occurred during his juvenile years. He emphasised that the voyeuristic offending was short-lived, that Foleher had entered an early guilty plea, thereby sparing the victim the ordeal of a trial, and expressed genuine remorse for his actions. Canfield argued that these factors warranted a lenient approach.

Her Honour Judge Kirstie Watson, presiding over the case, described Foleher's behaviour towards the victim as 'an utter disgrace'. She imposed a sentence of nine months' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, along with a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order to restrict his future conduct and protect the public. The judge stressed that 'there was still work to be done' with Foleher to address his risk of reoffending and prevent harm to others. Additional requirements included 24 days of rehabilitation activity and a 26-day Building Choices programme. The court also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of Foleher's mobile phone. Given his prior offences, Foleher is subject to lifelong registration as a sex offender, with this conviction adding a further ten-year registration period.

The case was reported by Tony Earnshaw, Crime and Court Reporter for The Telegraph & Argus, based on proceedings at Bradford Crown Court in West Yorkshire, England.