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'You have robbed me of my safe place': 'Sick' prowler caught peeping on camera revealed

Author
Kelly Makiha,
Publish Date
Thu, 1 Aug 2024, 8:43am

'You have robbed me of my safe place': 'Sick' prowler caught peeping on camera revealed

Author
Kelly Makiha,
Publish Date
Thu, 1 Aug 2024, 8:43am

A half-naked prowler caught on camera peering in windows of a听Rotorua听solo mother鈥檚 home while doing an indecent act has lost his bid to keep his name and identity secret.

Joshua Craig Williams, 20, appeared in the Rotorua District Court on Friday for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to doing an indecent act with intent to insult.

The听Rotorua Daily Post听revealed the听woman鈥檚 story in January, shortly before the police arrested Williams.

In January, Jasena Sayers Kiriona described the man as a 鈥渟ick鈥 prowler and said he was outside her Malfroy Rd home yelling out to her and tapping on the window. She said he tried the doorknob and left a note on her window that read: 鈥淗ey cute. What鈥檚 your number鈥.

A prowler left this note on Jasena Sayers Kiriona's kitchen window. A prowler left this note on Jasena Sayers Kiriona's kitchen window.

Judge John Bergseng last week lifted interim suppression that had prevented Williams鈥 name being published.

He said while Williams would suffer hardship from having his details published, he did not consider the hardship to be 鈥渆xtreme鈥, which was the threshold for continuing name suppression.

Judge Bergseng said Williams was living at his mother鈥檚 house in Rotorua on January 13 when he went to her neighbour鈥檚 house at 10.30pm, pulled down his pants and began doing an indecent act.

Kiriona was inside the house with her young children and Williams鈥 actions outside were caught on a security camera.

A neighbour eventually saw what Williams was doing and through their shared landlord contacted Kiriona.

Judge Bergseng said Williams moved around the outside of the property continuing the indecent act and at one point became shirtless.

Williams ran off when Kiriona鈥檚 friend arrived and yelled at him about 11pm.

Joshua Williams appears in the Rotorua District Court for sentencing. Photo / Kelly MakihaJoshua Williams appears in the Rotorua District Court for sentencing. Photo / Kelly Makiha

Judge Bergseng said Williams suffered from a mild intellectual disorder, had ADHD and had used methamphetamine from the age of 17.

He noted Williams had made good progress since his arrest and he was in a 鈥渕uch better space鈥.

But Judge Bergseng said it was clear from the victim impact statement Williams鈥 offending had 鈥渉ighly traumatised鈥 Kiriona.

She was now living in constant fear, even after he was caught, and she no longer allowed her children outside to play.

鈥淪he has been robbed of her safe place.鈥

His lawyer, Aidan McManus, said Williams had stopped using substances but then used them on the night of the offending.

She said he suffered from mental health issues but had support from family members in court.

A Rotorua mum was told by her neighbour's landlord to lock her door after a strange man was seen peeping through her kitchen window. A Rotorua mum was told by her neighbour's landlord to lock her door after a strange man was seen peeping through her kitchen window.

McManus said Williams and his family were afraid of repercussions of people knowing his identity particularly as he tried to get his life back on track. They were worried publication, including on social media, would result in people, such as 鈥渒eyboard warriors鈥, putting their safety at risk.

She asked Judge Bergseng to impose a community-based sentence, saying if he had to wear an electronically monitored anklet, he wouldn鈥檛 be able to get a job in the roading industry.

鈥淓mployment for this young man will be a rehabilitative outcome as well.鈥

However, a Community Corrections spokeswoman in court told Judge Bergseng that community detention anklets could be managed once employment was confirmed.

Judge Bergseng imposed a sentence of four months鈥 community detention at a new address 鈥 no longer next to Kiriona 鈥 and 18 months鈥 intensive supervision with a 10pm to 6am curfew.

鈥淚 know you have said you don鈥檛 have any recollection of those events. What you did that night caused huge distress. It鈥檚 caused huge implications for not only your victim but the whole family,鈥 Judge Bergseng said.

He said Williams had skills and was on the right path.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a case of all hope is lost for you 鈥 stop using methamphetamine and there is a good chance you won鈥檛 step back in court again.鈥

Victim speaks out

Kiriona told the听Rotorua Daily Post听she was 鈥渁 bit upset鈥 by the sentencing outcome.

鈥淏ut I just hope and pray that he never steps foot on my driveway again and actually gets the help he needs.鈥

She said she was having counselling, which was slowly helping her feel safer at night.

鈥淚 hope no one ever has to go through this because it is something that you鈥檙e never prepared for. As a parent, we try our best to keep our children safe. Home should be their safe place and unfortunately, his actions took away our sense of security and safety that night.鈥

Kiriona provided the听Rotorua Daily Post听with her victim impact statement.

The statement was not read in court but the judge referred to it.

In it, she said it was a 鈥渉ideous crime鈥 and the most horrible night of her life.

鈥淭he night it happened I was so scared because I didn鈥檛 know who you [Williams] were, if you were carrying weapons, what your mental headspace was like or what you were capable of doing. I was living in constant fear until you had been caught. I could only sleep for an hour as I kept having nightmares that you would get into my house.鈥

She said she still could not stand in her kitchen at night and suffered from anxiety.

鈥淭o find out that you in fact lived right in front of me was traumatising. You鈥檝e been in very close proximity to me and my kids this whole time. You have robbed me of my safe place.鈥

Kiriona said she used to be a 鈥渞eally confident person鈥 but was now 鈥渆xtremely scared at nights鈥, especially being a solo mother.

鈥淚 would never want anyone to go through this.鈥

Kelly Makiha听is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.

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