Ex-prison officer sentenced over public indecency

A former prison officer has been sentenced after being found guilty of public indecency and admitting firearm offences.

Wayne David Le Cocq, 64, of Collings Road, Guernsey, admitted a charge of possessing an unlicensed firearm and one of unsecured shotgun ammunition and was found guilty of five acts of behaving in an indecent manner in the Magistrate's Court.

Judge Marc Davies sentenced him to 14 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

Sentencing, Judge Davies said Le Cocq had been complacent in possessing shotgun shells, one of which was found in a child's coat pocket.

The judge said he did not believe Le Cocq had been coerced by others into public acts of indecency, as they happened across a wide range of time.

A trial in September heard Le Cocq engaged in sexual acts across the island between 2021 and 2024, including at the Pulias Pond car park and Moulin Huet car park.

Davies told the court he was imposing a suspended sentence because of the impact a custodial sentence could have on Le Cocq's family.

Officers from Guernsey Police discovered an unlicensed flare pistol and various pieces of shotgun ammunition as part of an investigation which was not centred on Le Cocq.

The investigation led to the conviction of three people for the ill-treatment of an animal through sexual acts.

At his trial Le Cocq defended his actions and said they did not amount to public indecency as nobody had seen them happen.

Judge Davies disagreed and said the sexual acts had taken place at some of Guernsey's most picturesque locations where anybody could have come upon them.

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