Senior Detective Pleads Guilty to Voyeurism, Faces Jail Time
A decorated detective who investigated high-profile murder cases has admitted to 'upskirting' a teenage girl and attempting to conceal evidence.
Detective Constable Lee Harshey-Jones, 45, a senior detective with North Wales Police who had investigated several high-profile murder cases, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to voyeurism, intending to pervert the course of justice, and corrupt or improper use of police powers. The charges stem from an incident on June 11 in Colwyn Bay, Conwy.
Harshey-Jones admitted to using his mobile phone camera to record a teenage girl beneath her clothing without her consent. He also pleaded guilty to wiping and resetting his phone in an attempt to hide evidence and to inappropriately accessing an internal computer log related to the incident.
His actions led to his arrest and subsequent suspension by North Wales Police. The court heard that he was of previous good character. He was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on November 19. The judge warned that a pre-sentence report should not be interpreted as an indication of the sentence.
Among the high-profile cases Harshey-Jones led was the investigation into the murder of two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths, who died in 2021 after suffering systematic abuse and neglect by his grandparents, Michael and Kerry Ives. He also investigated the murder of 65-year-old Mark Wilcox by Lauren Harris in November 2023 and had provided evidence in other significant trials.
Following the court appearance, North Wales Police confirmed that Harshey-Jones had resigned from the force. The police stated that criminal proceedings and misconduct protocols remain active, and they are unable to comment further at this time. The offense of operating equipment beneath clothing without consent falls under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.