Graham Lees

Graham Lees, 46, of Wesleyan Road, Peterborough, appeared at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday for his latest sexual offending, where he targeted a woman in Slough with obsessive stalking and voyeuristic behaviour. Lees, who has a long history of sexual crimes dating back to 2003, admitted one count of voyeurism and one count of stalking involving serious alarm or distress. The court heard that his actions were driven by an 'obsessive, intractable interest in women's underwear', a pattern evident in multiple prior convictions.

The offending occurred between 20 December 2023 and 15 February 2024. Lees, having met the victim in Slough, repeatedly called and messaged her, causing significant distress. He escalated by installing a secret recording device in her room, which allowed him to film her emerging from the shower and while sleeping, monitoring the footage via an app on his phone. After the victim fled her accommodation due to feeling unsafe, a friend discovered missing items, including underwear, upon collecting her belongings.

Prosecutors detailed Lees's criminal history, including a 2003 conviction for indecent assault, resulting in a community rehabilitation order and lifelong placement on the sex offenders' register. In June 2012, he was convicted of dwelling burglaries where he stole underwear and a prosthetic breast from two houses, and he had also attempted to steal underwear from a washing line. Judge Michael Grieve KC remarked during sentencing: 'You rummaged through her underwear and clearly took some away. You clearly have an obsessive and intractable interest in particular in women's underwear. You are a person with a long history of this type of offending, that goes back to the year 2003.'

In her victim impact statement, read to the court, the unnamed victim described the profound impact: 'I did not know what Graham had done to my personal items, I had to buy new items and cleared out my savings. When I was shown videos of myself by the police it made me feel dirty and vulnerable.' She added that she now covers herself in thick clothes even in summer. Lees appeared via video link from HMP Bullingdon.

Judge Grieve sentenced Lees to 28 months' imprisonment, imposed an indefinite restraining order, and a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years. The case was reported by the Slough Observer, with details from court proceedings at Reading Crown Court.