Victim of voyeurism speaks out after Milton Keynes man who secretly spied on her is jailed

Peter Hayward from Windy Meadows farm in Middle Weald, Calverton, was last week sentenced to 24 weeks in jail by the judge at Aylesbury Crown Court.

The court heard how he hid cameras in the floor of his bathroom and videoed a female guest when she was using his toilet and showering.

The charge read: “Between 01/06/2017 and 01/05/2018 at Milton Keynes in the County of Buckinghamshire recorded another person doing a private act with the intention that you would, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, look at an image of that other person doing the act, knowing that the other person did not consent to your recording the act with that intention.”

As well as the prison sentence, he was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for seven years and placed on the Sex Offenders’ register for seven years.

The judge also ordered that recording devices be destroyed.

After the case, his victim, a woman in her 30, spoke to the Citizen about her devastation when she realised what he had been doing.

“I’d known him for many years through the horsey world and my family. I used to ride his horses when I was young and I suppose he was a type of father figure to me. I trusted him. He was quite a well respected person locally.”

The victim’s family moved away from the area, but four years ago she returned to MK to start a new job.

Hayward offered to put her up as a guest in his home until she found suitable accommodation.

"I thought it was kind of him and all was fine at first. Then one day I got in from work and went to the computer, which was in a shared area, to Google something,” she said.

"I switched it on and suddenly all these thumbnail images of videos came up on the screen. I recognised myself immediately – it was sickening. They were all named – things like ‘using the toilet’ and ‘shaving’.

"I was disgusted, but it also made me feel disgusting in myself. I felt betrayed and I felt I would never be able to trust anybody ever again.

“I wanted to confront him but realised he was too dangerous so instead I fled the house and called my family, who told me to go straight to the police.”

There began a lengthy wait, exacerbated by the Covid pandemic, while police prepared their case. Hayward was finally charged in October 2021 and the case was heard in Crown Court last Wednesday. He admitted the charge.

His victim did not have to attend court, to her relief. And she is now hoping the prison sentence will bring her some closure.

"The past four years have been really hard. I moved miles away from Milton Keynes because I couldn’t face being near him. I gave up my enjoyable job and I’m training for a new career.

"But I still suffer from anxiety and still feel disgusting when I think about what he did… The feelings are fading a little as time goes by but I don’t think I can ever forget it.”

Investigating police officer Sergeant Jacqui Baverstock, who is based at Milton Keynes police station, said: “I’m pleased for the victim that justice has been served as this was a serious breach of their trust.

“The incident continues to have an impact on their mental health and wellbeing so I hope the conviction brings her some comfort and closure.

“I would like to thank the victim for putting their trust in us to investigate this disgusting crime which has resulted in the offender pleading guilty and being jailed.

“We will not tolerate such behaviour within the Thames Valley and will always investigate such offences robustly to bring offenders to justice.”