Voyeur wanders into women's toilets in Northampton in hopes of being sent back to jail

A convicted voyeur wandered into a women's toilets in Northampton in hopes of being sent back to prison.
Chris Rufford made the decision he wanted to go back to prison and walked into a women's toilets to wait for the police.Chris Rufford made the decision he wanted to go back to prison and walked into a women's toilets to wait for the police.
Chris Rufford made the decision he wanted to go back to prison and walked into a women's toilets to wait for the police.

Chris Rufford, formerly of Lower Meadow Court, Thorplands, walked into the ladies' in a Northampton shopping centre, sat down in a cubicle and played on his phone while he waited for the police to arrive.

The 37-year-old had recently been released from a two-year prison sentence after he was caught spying on a woman in a McDonalds' toilet in 2017.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He also has 10 other similar previous convictions for voyeurism - but during this latest incident in early January 2019, Rufford did not take any pictures after walking into the restroom.

Instead, Northampton Crown Court heard yesterday (November 19) how Rufford deliberately walked into the lavatory and sat down to play on his phone in order to breach his court order and send himself back to prison.

Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking heard how the 37-year-old had had difficulties finding a job since his release and reached the decision that he wanted to go back inside.

Judge Lucking told Rufford in sentencing: "On this occasion, you deliberately breached your custody conditions in the hope you would get sent back inside.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"You simply cannot go around breaching court orders. Breaching court orders with not the way to go about solving your problems.

"There is only one solution, unfortunately, and that is an immediate custodial sentence."

As a result, Rufford was sentenced to another 16 months in prison.