A ‘Peeping Tom’ who spied on a woman as she came out of the shower has been handed a suspended sentence.

On Thursday, April 3, he appeared before magistrates and was sentenced to 20 weeks’ custody, suspended for two years, and put under a two-year supervision order.

Sixty-four-year-old Lynch, who has previous convictions for similar offences, was also ordered to pay £1,225 prosecution costs and £500 compensation to the victim.

Prosecuting advocate Peter Connick told the court that the offence had previously been described as a ‘Peeping Tom’ type incident.

The victim said that she had got out of her shower, wrapped herself in a towel, and gone to her kitchen.

She said that when she put the light on and looked at the window, Lynch had his face pressed against it, looking in.

She immediately closed the blinds and reported the incident.

The victim said that she recognised Lynch as he lived nearby.

He was arrested, and when interviewed, claimed he had been putting rubbish in the communal bin outside the woman’s window, and denied that he had got any gratification from what had happened.

However, it was said that, to look through the window, he would have had to walk around the bins.

A victim impact statement was read out by Mr Connick, and in it, the woman said that she had felt violated and scared to stay in her flat afterwards.

She said that she had felt unsafe and had moved in with her daughter for six weeks as a result of seeing Lynch spying on her.

The woman said that she had not been sleeping and had been worrying about going back to her flat.

She said that her children had eventually helped her find a new flat, but this had cost her £500 in moving and storage costs.

The court heard that Lynch had previous convictions for peering through a window previously, and also for watching a couple having sex, as he masturbated at the window.

Defence advocate Kaitlyn Shimmin asked magistrates to follow the recommendation of a probation report, which suggested a suspended sentence.

The report said that a 16-week programme, run by a probation psychologist, had been arranged for Lynch, which would involve work that he had not undertaken before.

Ms Shimmin said that this should reduce the risk of the defendant committing similar offences.

The advocate also said that her client would lose his employment if he was sent to prison, and that he wanted to address his behaviour as it had been an issue for many years.

Magistrates gave Lynch, of Head Road in Douglas, one month to pay the costs and compensation, or he could face 60 days in prison.

Mr Connick said that a Sexual Risk Order may be applied for, which would place restrictions upon the defendant, but this would be done in a separate hearing.