Pervert caught in horse stables told police 'I have an unusual habit'

A pervert who entered a Lancashire horse stables with intent to commit a sexual offence told police "I have an unusual habit" as he was arrested.

Lancashire Police were called by the owner of the stable block in Hapton to say he had caught a man on his property. He had been alerted by a sensor that there was a trespasser on his land.

A court heard how when the owner went to the stables he found Shane Taylor-Waters 'crouched behind his horse'. When the 42-year-old was arrested on suspicion of burglary he told officers: "I’m in an unstable situation. I’ve tried getting medication for it. I’m on licence. I have an unusual habit."

When Taylor-Waters was further arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty, he said: "I thought about doing it. Then thought better."

The defendant, who has previous conviction for sexual offences involving animals, added: "I went there with the intention of doing it. I went in the stable and sat there for five minutes and didn’t do anything. Then the man came out and caught me."

The incident happened at around 12.40am on May 16, last year. Taylor-Waters, 42, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence and was jailed for 12 months when he appeared at burnley-crown-court>Burnley Crown Court earlier this week.

DC Leigh Palfreeman, of Burnley CID, said: "This was an extremely sinister offence. Thankfully Taylor-Waters was interrupted before he could take his worrying behaviour any further."