Colin Luke, 69, a convicted sex offender, has been sent back to prison after flagrantly breaching his court orders during a disturbing four-week period in October last year. Luke terrorised the community of Langley Park in County Durham with a campaign of harassment and stalking.
During this time, Luke exposed himself to shoppers at the Premier Store and persistently targeted staff at the local Co-op and a hair salon. He made inappropriate comments about employees’ appearances and invaded their personal space, causing significant distress and alarm.
In a serious violation of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), Luke also spoke to children and visited a children’s play park, locations he was explicitly forbidden from entering. This SHPO was imposed following his 2014 conviction for abducting and sexually assaulting a schoolgirl in Bowburn.
Durham Constabulary’s Public Protection Unit acted swiftly, charging Luke with six offences including exposure, stalking, harassment, and breaching his SHPO. He admitted to all charges.
On 10 January, Durham Crown Court sentenced Luke to two years and four months in prison.
Detective Constable Aimee Crawford commented, “Sexual Harm Prevention Orders are just one of the tools we can use to help keep people safe. These allow us to monitor offenders’ activity in the community, and where they fail to comply, will return them to jail.”
Durham police encourage anyone affected by sexual offences to report incidents promptly via their website or by calling 101. In emergencies, dial 999 immediately.
Originally published by UKNIP.
