HABEN MIHRETAB'S SHAMEFUL CRIMES IN BLACKBURN AND PRESTON: SERIAL VOYEURISM AND INDEFINITE BAN FROM UK FEMALE TOILETS
In July 2020, Haben Mihretab, a man with a troubling history of voyeurism, was sentenced to prison after a series of disturbing incidents involving breaches of court orders and repeated invasions of women’s privacy in Blackburn and Preston.His actions, which spanned over several years, have caused significant distress among victims and prompted stringent legal actions to prevent further offenses.
Haben Mihretab, aged 22 and residing on Heatley Close in Blackburn, had previously been convicted of voyeurism in 2019.
Following that conviction, Lancashire Constabulary successfully applied for an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) against him.
This court order explicitly prohibited Mihretab from entering any female public toilets across the UK, aiming to curb his pattern of offending.
Additionally, he was subject to notification requirements, which mandated him to inform police of any change of address.
Despite these restrictions, Mihretab’s violations continued.
On March 7th, 2020, Mihretab left his Blackburn residence to attend a sexual offender treatment program in Preston city center.
After completing his first day at the program, he proceeded to Fishergate Shopping Centre in Preston.
There, he entered the female toilets, where he clandestinely concealed himself and was observed peering over the cubicle partition by a female victim.
His invasive behavior was immediately recognized, and he was identified through CCTV footage.
The police traced him from Preston Railway Station, where he was found loitering, to his arrest.
Officers conducted an unannounced compliance visit to Mihretab’s home that same day, discovering that he had moved address five days earlier but had failed to notify police as required.
This breach of notification requirements, coupled with his violation of the SHPO, led to his arrest for both offenses.
Further investigation, including CCTV evidence from the shopping center, confirmed his voyeuristic act.
During court proceedings, Mihretab pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including voyeurism, breaching his SHPO, and failing to notify police of his change of address.
The judge at Preston Crown Court sentenced him to 22 months in custody, reflecting the seriousness of his repeated offenses and violations.
Earlier in May 2020, Mihretab faced additional charges after being caught peering over cubicles in the female toilets at Fishergate Shopping Centre.
His own barrister, Sharon Watson, explained that the case had to be adjourned for six weeks due to difficulties in meeting with her client because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She expressed concerns about his motivation and the traumatic experiences he endured in his homeland, which might have contributed to his behavior.
The case was postponed until June 12 for a conference with his legal counsel, and Mihretab was remanded into custody at Preston Prison.
The incident at Fishergate involved a female witness who described feeling watched while using the toilet.
She saw Mihretab staring at her and screamed, prompting him to disappear from view.
CCTV footage revealed that Mihretab had loitered outside the toilets before entering at 2:41 pm and remained inside until 3:19 pm, during which time 68 females, including young children, entered the facilities.
His previous convictions include two voyeurism offenses at Wigan train station and a pub in Wigan in 2017, as well as an incident at a Blackburn bowling alley in 2018 and another at Tesco in Accrington in July 2019.
In July 2019, Mihretab was banned from all female toilets in the UK after being caught spying on a 16-year-old girl at Tesco in Accrington.
The victim, who noticed his spiky hair over the cubicle, confronted him along with her partner.
Mihretab begged them not to report him, even offering to be punched.
CCTV footage showed him entering and leaving the toilets after 37 minutes, during which 18 women and three children used the facilities.
Judge Nicholas Barker sentenced him to 20 weeks in prison and imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, warning that any breach could result in further imprisonment.
Further incidents include his 2017 conviction for spying on women and girls at Wigan’s Moon Under Water pub and Wigan North Western railway station, where he hid in cubicles to observe females, including a young girl in school uniform.
He received a 24-week sentence for these offenses.
In 2018, he was jailed for 12 weeks after peeping at a 17-year-old girl at Blackburn’s Tenpin Bowling alley.
His pattern of offending demonstrates a persistent and invasive behavior that has caused ongoing harm to victims and alarm among the public.
Haben Mihretab’s repeated violations and the severity of his actions have led to his current incarceration and a comprehensive ban from all female public toilets in the UK.
His case underscores the importance of strict legal measures to protect individuals from invasive and predatory behavior, especially when dealing with offenders who have demonstrated a high risk of reoffending.
