A FORMER soldier from Broughton has admitted spying through people’s windows “for sexual gratification”.

Colin Paul Curtis, 45, pleaded guilty to four counts of ‘observing a person doing a private act’ during a hearing at Chester Magistrates Court on Friday (November 9).

He was spotted up a tree by a member of the public in August last year and then made “very full admissions” to police officers in an interview.

Curtis, of Aughton Way, Broughton, admitted partaking in ‘peeping Tom’ antics in Chester from as far back as January 2005.

The court heard he had been “hanging around properties at night, peering through windows”.

Peter Barnett, defending, said: “He admitted he’s been doing it for some time back to 2005. He understands he’s got a problem that needs to be addressed.”

Curtis had previously been jailed for three years in 2015 for sexual assault. The admissions to voyeurism put him in breach of the terms of his licence and he was recalled to prison.

District Judge Nicholas Sanders adjourned the case for three weeks so a pre-sentence report could be compiled and granted bail until that time.

But he also warned Curtis that the sentencing powers of a magistrates court may not be sufficient.

“The nature of these charges mean I need to get more information from the Probation Service about your background and what needs to be done,” the district judge said.

“I am not ruling out the possibility of sending it back to the crown court for sentence.”