Back in 2021, Peter Barney, the Three Legged Cross Sex Offender, was incarcerated for violating a court order established to safeguard women from his criminal behaviour.
Peter Barney, residing on Verwood Road in Three Legged Cross, was sentenced to 21 months of incarceration at Bournemouth Crown Court on Wednesday, March 17, for violating a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The 59-year-old was previously convicted in March 2013 to three years’ imprisonment for the offence of assault by penetration and was subjected to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for an unlimited duration.
The offence occurred while he was performing his duties as a gardener, and the court order stipulated that he could not be alone with any unrelated female on any property or garden during his employment.
On Wednesday, March 11, of the previous year, a woman was at her residence in Wimborne when Peter Barney knocked on the front door and enquired if she required any gardening services.
While conversing on the porch and in the front lawn, the woman initially failed to remember him; nevertheless, she eventually recalled that she was familiar with him and had previously been informed of the order to which he was subjected.
She stated that during their contact, Peter Barney made her feel exceedingly uncomfortable and remarked on her “beautiful eyes.”
While the woman went to summon her husband, Peter Barney departed the garden, and she heard a vehicle departing. She notified the authorities, resulting in Peter Barney’s arrest the subsequent day.
In court, he acknowledged violating the injunction but refuted making a remark regarding her eyes and asserted that most of the conversation occurred on the sidewalk adjacent to her property rather than in her garden. Upon reviewing the evidence, the judge rejected Peter Barney’s account of the events.
During sentencing, Peter Barney was subjected to a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and a restraining order was established to safeguard the victim. Both directives will remain in effect until further notice.
Investigator Bill Nixon, of Dorset Police’s Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) team, said: “The court imposed the order when Peter Barney was sentenced in 2013 to protect women from Peter Barney’s sexual offending.
“This breach showed a complete disregard for that order, and I would like to thank the victim for reporting this to us and supporting us during the investigation, as well as giving evidence in court.”
Detective Inspector Sarah Gillion, of MOSOVO, added: “Thanks to the victim’s support, Peter Barney is now facing the consequences of ignoring the court order, with a further prison sentence, and he will continue to be closely managed by the MOSOVO team on his release.
“Our team is committed to working with our partners to ensure offenders who pose a risk to women and other members of our communities abide by any restrictions that are in place. If they fail to do so, we will ensure appropriate action is taken.”
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