Colchester architect sentenced for taking explicit photo of sleeping woman

COLCHESTER ARCHITECT SENTENCED FOR TAKING EXPLICIT PHOTO OF SLEEPING WOMAN

An architect named Emile Du Toit, aged 31, displayed deeply disturbing behaviour towards a woman in Colchester.

He took an explicit photo of her while she was sleeping and later tried to justify his actions by claiming he was taking a photograph of the bedroom, not the woman.

During the trial at Ipswich Crown Court, Du Toit admitted to taking the photo but attempted to minimize his actions.

The victim reported feeling shocked and angry, confronting him about his behaviour, and describing the photo as having a "really creepy feeling" with a sense of "ownership." The jury cleared him of sexual assault charges but convicted him of voyeurism, for which he was sentenced.

The judge described Du Toit's actions as "deeply disturbing" and sentenced him to an 18-month community order involving 100 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

Du Toit also admitted to keeping a portion of the victim’s excrement in a plastic container and claimed there was an "agreement" allowing him to wake her during sex acts, which she was told "not to make a habit of." The offence took place in Colchester, and the victim's statement emphasized the creepy and ownership-like nature of his misconduct.