CHRISTOPHER GUEST'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN NEW MILTON AND PARK NORTH REVEALED

In August 2010, a disturbing incident involving Christopher Guest unfolded on a train traveling from Southampton to Weymouth. The New Forest man, who was 31 years old at the time, was accused of exposing himself in front of a 15-year-old teenager while the young boy was traveling alone. The teenager, who was particularly vulnerable that day due to the emotional state caused by scattering his father’s ashes, was subjected to this distressing act after Guest had been observing him for some time during the journey. It was only when the teenager became aware of Guest’s inappropriate behavior that the incident was recognized and reported.

Following the incident, Guest was brought before Southampton Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to the charge of indecent exposure. The court heard that Guest, residing at Hardy Close in New Milton, was ordered to undergo treatment for sex offenders as part of a comprehensive three-year supervision order. Additionally, he was mandated to pay the young victim £500 in compensation for the trauma inflicted. To ensure public safety and monitor his behavior, Guest was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of five years.

Earlier, in May 2001, Guest’s criminal history included a separate and serious offense committed in Park North. At that time, he was involved in a burglary at the Cock Robin pub located in Cavendish Square. The pub, which he had previously worked at, was being transferred to new management, and Guest, then 22 years old, was accused of orchestrating a break-in. Court records revealed that Guest had asked friends to help him gain entry into the pub’s premises while it was in transition. Using his own key, he led them through the cellar to the bar area, where they caused extensive damage and stole goods valued at approximately £2,332.

The stolen items included cash from the till and gaming machines, bottles of spirits ripped from the optics, and entire cigarette machines emptied of their contents. Two large barrels of lager were also taken from the cellar. Police were alerted after Guest was found upstairs in his staff flat, where officers discovered evidence linking him to the crime, including till rolls from the bar and a bin liner filled with cigarettes from a vending machine. Guest was arrested and taken into custody. Magistrates decided to defer sentencing, emphasizing the importance of providing him with psychological help for his sexual offending issues.

It was also revealed that Guest had previously been given a three-year probation order after admitting to two counts of gross indecency involving young boys at Seven Fields, Penhill. His offending was uncovered after one of his victims saw a photograph of Guest in an article published in the Evening Advertiser, which discussed Penhill’s community image. As part of his probation, Guest was required to register as a sex offender for five years. His defense lawyer, Rob Ross, explained that after the break-in, Guest was remanded in custody until suitable accommodation could be arranged, as he had been thrown out of the pub. Since then, Guest had been residing in Southampton, initially in a hostel and later in accommodation provided by the English Churches Housing Group. Due to his ongoing psychological issues, he had not yet begun the sex offenders’ treatment program mandated by his probation order. The court acknowledged the severity of his problems and emphasized the need for long-term intervention to address his psycho-sexual issues.