Man, 72, jailed for spending 90 minutes in ladies' toilet at Leicester store

A 72-year-old man flouted a court order by spending 90 minutes in ladies' toilets in a shopping centre.

Alan Goode, who has previous convictions for voyeurism in women's lavatories, was jailed for a total of nine months.

During a hearing at Leicester Crown Court yesterday, he pleaded guilty to breaching a sex offences prevention order banning him from going into females' public conveniences or loitering near them.

Gary Short, prosecuting, said on November 16, cleaners in the John Lewis women's toilets, in Leicester's Highcross shopping centre, became aware someone had been in a cubicle for about an hour and called security.

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Goode initially lied, saying he suffered from irritable bowel syndrome and had dashed into the ladies in an emergency – despite the gents being directly opposite.

CCTV footage covering the toilets entrance showed he was in there for 90 minutes.

The court was told in 2009, Goode was caught in the ladies lavatories in Waitrose, Blaby.

He had been lying in a cubicle watching women use the toilet.

He was prosecuted for voyeurism and given a community order, as well as being placed on a five-year sex offences prevention order, forbidding loitering in or near women's lavatories.

In 2010 and 2011, he was prosecuted for similar misconduct in the ladies' toilets at two city centre bars, for which he was given a six-month suspended jail sentence and then a 24-week suspended jail sentence.

Recorder Lance Ashworth said Goode, of Welford Road, Wigston, failed to take chances given to him.

He said the defendant was not charged with voyeurism in John Lewis, only for breaching the order, as no one had made a complaint.

Andrew Bolc, mitigating, said: "He's lived alone for 18 years, following the breakdown of his last relationship.

"He has no children and no surviving family members and is isolated.

"He's interested in music and poetry but they haven't filled the void of his loneliness, which has led to impulsive acts of voyeurism.

"No complainant has come forward to say anyone was disturbed by the defendant."

He said Goode had rekindled his religious faith and had "expressed disgust at his own behaviour".