By Lou Thomas
The Wandsworth Borough News has won the right to publish the new address of a peeping tom, after overturning a Section 11 order.
Judge Kenneth Grant had banned the printing of Peter Brennan’s address because he feared there would be reprisals. Brennan, who admitted spying on a 17-year-old woman for sexual gratification, was placed on the sex offenders’
register for five years.
An appeal from chief reporter Sarah Halls persuaded Judge Grant to change the decision after she argued that the order was originally intended to protect blackmail victims and people involved in national security — not peeping toms. She also argued there were many reasons why defendants would like to keep their personal details private, but that the Section 11 order was not enacted "for the benefit of the comfort and feelings of the defendant".
During the case, Brennan was sacked from his job as caretaker at Beatrix Potter School, Earlsfield. He lived on the school grounds while caretaker, before moving to Battersea after he was sacked.
Judge Grant said: "I’ve revisited the cases and the law in relation to this matter and I think it’s right to say that the law does not concern itself with a change of address in the course of proceedings."
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