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| Ex-Labour Lords aide Desmond Hughes used cameras to harass teenager | Ex-Labour Lords aide Desmond Hughes used cameras to harass teenager |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| A former special adviser to a Labour peer faces jail for using CCTV cameras at his Cardiff home to harass the family next door. | |
| Desmond Hughes, 65, and his partner Clare Anderson, 55, were found guilty of a joint charge of harassment. | Desmond Hughes, 65, and his partner Clare Anderson, 55, were found guilty of a joint charge of harassment. |
| Cardiff magistrates' court also heard they stared at the family's 18-year-old daughter through her bedroom window. | Cardiff magistrates' court also heard they stared at the family's 18-year-old daughter through her bedroom window. |
| Hughes, a former aide to Lord Corbett, had claimed in court that the cameras were there because of security advice. | Hughes, a former aide to Lord Corbett, had claimed in court that the cameras were there because of security advice. |
| He and Anderson were found guilty of harassing neighbours Nick and Linda Hancock and their daughter Talia. | He and Anderson were found guilty of harassing neighbours Nick and Linda Hancock and their daughter Talia. |
| District Judge Bodfan Jenkins said the conduct of Hughes and Anderson was "unacceptable and oppressive". | District Judge Bodfan Jenkins said the conduct of Hughes and Anderson was "unacceptable and oppressive". |
| The judge said he was satisfied they were lying in evidence and he warned them that he was considering all options including prison. The offence carries a maximum three-month sentence. | The judge said he was satisfied they were lying in evidence and he warned them that he was considering all options including prison. The offence carries a maximum three-month sentence. |
| Judge Jenkins told the pair: "You continued pointing the cameras which had nothing to do with security or tackling crime. | Judge Jenkins told the pair: "You continued pointing the cameras which had nothing to do with security or tackling crime. |
| "This was a deliberate course of conduct designed to create unpleasantness and to harass and distress. | "This was a deliberate course of conduct designed to create unpleasantness and to harass and distress. |
| "I am satisfied you are lying and that the Hancocks are telling the truth." | "I am satisfied you are lying and that the Hancocks are telling the truth." |
| The court heard the harassment began a year after the Hancocks moved next door to Hughes and Anderson in Old St Mellons, Cardiff. | The court heard the harassment began a year after the Hancocks moved next door to Hughes and Anderson in Old St Mellons, Cardiff. |
| 'Odd behaviour' | 'Odd behaviour' |
| College student Talia Hancock told the court that surveillance cameras were aimed at her family's back garden and pointed directly at their drive. | College student Talia Hancock told the court that surveillance cameras were aimed at her family's back garden and pointed directly at their drive. |
| Miss Hancock said: "It was directly angled. It wasn't pointed on to his property - just ours. | Miss Hancock said: "It was directly angled. It wasn't pointed on to his property - just ours. |
| "I'm certain it was pointing directly on to our garden." | "I'm certain it was pointing directly on to our garden." |
| She told the court how Hughes and Anderson constantly stared at her through her bedroom window. | She told the court how Hughes and Anderson constantly stared at her through her bedroom window. |
| "I was always aware of that from the moment I moved in," she added. | "I was always aware of that from the moment I moved in," she added. |
| "They would stand there with their hands on their hips staring up at my bedroom until I moved away from my window. | "They would stand there with their hands on their hips staring up at my bedroom until I moved away from my window. |
| "I thought it was odd behaviour to stand and stare up at somebody. | "I thought it was odd behaviour to stand and stare up at somebody. |
| "My mum would always tell me to ignore them but it got to the point where I felt really intimidated by them. | "My mum would always tell me to ignore them but it got to the point where I felt really intimidated by them. |
| "Whenever I'm in my bedroom now, my curtains are always drawn." | "Whenever I'm in my bedroom now, my curtains are always drawn." |
| PC Christopher Fennessy told the court that police found a number of cameras on Hughes' property but there was no evidence that images were being recorded. | |
| Hughes admitted owning an extensive collection of firearms, shotguns and various explosives that were regularly inspected by police. | |
| He also admitted he had three cameras attached to both the front and back of his house when the Hancocks moved in next door. | He also admitted he had three cameras attached to both the front and back of his house when the Hancocks moved in next door. |
| But he claimed he never had cause to point the cameras in the direction of either their garden or driveway and most of them were not even working. | But he claimed he never had cause to point the cameras in the direction of either their garden or driveway and most of them were not even working. |
| Hughes and Anderson will be sentenced later, and were ordered not to contact the Hancock family. | Hughes and Anderson will be sentenced later, and were ordered not to contact the Hancock family. |