A CHESHIRE man who lingered outside an autistic woman’s house in the early hours and performed a sex act on himself has avoided jail.

Conah Burns doesn’t know his victim, but it didn’t stop him lingering outside her home for three nights in a row between 1am and 2am, starting on August 1, 2023. 

The victim told police the 35-year-old had, on the third night, been performing a sex act as he loitered in plain view of her window.

The woman, who already suffers from PTSD, gave his description to police, and a patrol spotted him the area.

He managed to flee, but an officer’s body worn camera captured an image which was used to identify him though computer facial recognition.

Officers were also able to place him in the victim’s street at the time of the offence with CCTV, and it was this footage which showed him there at similar times on the two previous days.

When questioned by police, he provide a prepared statement in which he denied performing a sex act in public, claiming he was on the phone to his partner at the time of the offence.  

Burns, of Cheshire, was charged with stalking without threat of violence, and exposure, but pleaded not guilty to both offences at Chester Magistrates’ Court on August 5.

He was back at Chester for trial on January 9, but was found guilty on both counts before returning for sentencing on Friday, February 16.

Prosecuting, Amanda Venables said Burns already has 11 convictions for 16  offences including harassment in 2016 and exposing himself in 2021, for which he received a suspended prison sentence.

He also has a record of battery, making written threats, and several community order breaches.

Miss Venables described the victim as ‘already vulnerable’ and she now ‘dreads the evenings’ and has panic attacks as it goes dark, as she now feels a ‘constant presence watching her all the time’.

Defending, Peter Barnett said Burns still denies both charges, and the victim herself ‘had not identified him personally at any point'.

He told the court she only described the sex act in her police statement. At the trial, she’d said the defendant had ‘showed himself’ which, Mr Barnett argued, brought the offence into a lower sentence category.

Passing sentence, district judge Owen Jones said Burns’ previous and similar offences were an aggravating factor, as was the ‘significant harm’ his actions had on the victim.

“I take the view this case does indeed cross the custody threshold, but on balance I believe the public would be better served by a suspended sentence, which would create a much-need opportunity for rehabilitation," he said. 

Burns, whose address can’t be published for legal reasons, was handed a total sentence of 12 weeks in prison, suspended for two years.

He must also complete a 35-day accredited sex offender treatment programme, complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and complete 100 hours unpaid work.

He will also pay £640 court costs, a £154 victim surcharge, and go on signing the sex offenders register.