Wayne Le Cocq, 64, of Collings Road, St Peter Port, had denied five counts of behaving in an indecent manner at various public areas, namely Petit Bot, Moulin Huet, and Pulias car park at St Sampson’s, but was found guilty of each at trial. Today he was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, suspended for a year.
He was arrested in August 2024 as part of a wider investigation after videos of the outdoor sex were found on devices belonging to former publican and taxi driver Peter Leigh, who was subsequently jailed for similar offending.
Le Cocq did not dispute that he had performed the acts with Leigh’s girlfriend, but denied the charges because he said nobody else had seen them doing it, so therefore it could not be indecent.
He also admitted possessing a firearm, namely a flare pistol, at his home without licence, and storing shotgun ammunition at his home in an insecure place.
The court heard that his home had been searched following his arrest on the other matters.
The flare pistol was found in a filing cabinet in the garage, while ammunition was located in several places around the house, including the pocket of a child’s coat.
He had no previous convictions.
Defending, Advocate Alan Merrien said the writers of character references submitted spoke highly of his client.
The last three years had had a significant impact on his client and family members.
The flare had been given to him by a friend who was clearing out a shed and he said he had forgotten it was there. The shotgun ammunition was the wrong type for his equipment and he had forgotten to return it to the supplier.
Some of it dated from the 1960s and was incompatible with modern weapons.
He had intended to get a safe for the ammunition but could only find electronic ones and he was not of the digital age.
Judge Marc Davies said any offence under the firearms law was very serious and the defendant had been complacent in that respect. Ammunition had been found in the pocket of a child’s coat and he should have known better.
There was no suggestion that the videos of the indecent acts which Leigh had filmed had been shared with anyone else, but these were undoubtedly indecent acts.
He rejected the defendant’s assertion at trial that there had been some coercion involved and said the span of the offending alone was testament to that.
Judge Davies said he agreed with the writer of the probation report who said the indecent behaviour offences had been about risk-taking, thrill-seeking and trying to find a sexual spark for the defendant.
The fact that it had taken place in some of the island’s most beautiful places had made it even more exciting for him.
Le Cocq was sentenced to two weeks in prison on each of the indecent behaviour matters, one week for the flare pistol charge and three weeks for the ammunition offence.
The sentences were consecutive, which took the total to 14 weeks. All were suspended for 12 months.