Man receives suspended sentence for upskirting incident at Metro station

A man received a suspended prison sentence after taking photographs up a schoolgirl’s skirt. Lukasz Gajowski, 39, photographed the girl without her knowledge, but a woman waiting for a train at Gateshead Metro station observed him and reported the incident, according to proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court. His phone contained indecent images of children, some as young as four, with certain images falling into the most serious classification. Gajowski pleaded guilty to voyeurism and three charges of creating indecent images of children. He was sentenced to a one-year jail term, which was suspended for two years, partly due to the nearly four-year delay in the case reaching court. Prosecutor Amber Walker stated that on 3 December 2020, a commuter observed Gajowski “lunging” behind the girl, extending his arm towards the hem of her skirt at a station. The court was informed that the girl’s age was estimated to be approximately 14 years. The court heard that the woman made eye contact with Gajowski, prompting him to “quickly move away”. She reported the incident to the police, leading to the retrieval of CCTV footage from the station and a public appeal for Gajowski’s identification. Ms Walker stated that a colleague of Gajowski recognized him and subsequently contacted the police. Gajowski, residing at Brinkburn Avenue in Bensham, Gateshead, declined to comment during his police interview; however, a search of his phone revealed numerous indecent images of children, including 21 photographs and videos classified in the most serious category. The court was informed that the case experienced delays due to the coronavirus pandemic and a backlog within police digital forensic services, with Ms Walker issuing an apology on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service. Judge Julie Clemitson commended the “quick-thinking” woman for observing and reporting Gajowski. She described Gajowski’s actions as “brazen,” noting that such conduct could cause girls to feel “very distressed” and “anxious and worried about travelling on public transport.” Judge Clemitson stated that Gajowski had participated in chat rooms with paedophiles and accumulated a collection demonstrating a sexual interest in children. The judge remarked, “Each of those images and videos shows a real child being horrifically abused in order to satisfy the desires of people like you,” further stating that anyone who viewed or downloaded the images was “promoting” and “encouraging the abuse of children.” Judge Clemitson explained that Gajowski’s prison sentence would be suspended because of prison overcrowding, the brief duration he would actually serve, and the “unjustifiable” and “unconscionable” delay in the case reaching court. The judge specified that he must cooperate with the probation service and complete 100 hours of unpaid work. A sexual harm prevention order, restricting his use of internet-enabled devices, was issued for a period of 10 years.