Peter Melville

Peter Melville, a 60-year-old man from Portsmouth, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Friday, February 14, 2025, after pleading guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order. The incident occurred on September 3, 2024, in the Covingham area of Swindon, where Melville approached two young girls, aged 10 and 11, who were playing in the driveway of one of their homes.

Melville, formerly known as Raymond Casson, walked towards the girls and complimented one of them by saying she was beautiful, before handing her a two-pound coin and unzipping his trousers in an attempt to expose himself. Ring doorbell footage captured the immediate aftermath, showing the terrified girls running away screaming and crying, banging on the front door to escape. Nearby CCTV footage also recorded Melville walking around the area, passing the driveway, and then running back to his van after the incident.

At the time, Melville was working as a vehicle courier and had spent approximately 40 minutes in Swindon before fleeing towards Bristol. He was apprehended shortly after by armed firearm officers near the M4 motorway at around 6:30pm. The court heard that Melville has a significant criminal history, with 11 convictions for 39 offences, including possession of indecent images and assaulting a child under 13. His previous appearance before the court involved approaching four teenage girls near a school and exposing himself to them.

In a victim impact statement, one of the girls described her terror: 'He looked like an innocent, normal man when he walked past - I didn’t think he was going to do something like that. I was crying and feeling terrified for a while.' She explained how the trauma affected her daily life, leading to anxiety that prevented her from being alone, disrupting her sleep, and altering her sense of safety in her neighbourhood. Her mother added that the event had profoundly impacted her daughter's ability to explore independently, stating: 'It’s a difficult position as a parent and even more difficult as it has all happened outside our home.' The second girl recounted feeling confused by Melville's stares before the panic set in during the assault.

In mitigation, defence counsel Ms Stoker argued that Melville was struggling with self-control but was 'deeply, deeply sorry for his actions' and regretted the impulsive decision, expressing a desire to change. However, His Honour Judge Jason Taylor KC described Melville as 'undoubtedly dangerous' and highlighted his 'worrying pattern of sexual offending.' Melville was sentenced to 47 months in prison. Detective Constable Jack Newton of Wiltshire Police commended the victims' bravery, noting: 'Melville is a repeat offender who changed his name and has persistently targeted children. I am pleased he will spend time behind bars for what he has done.'