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From the
https://www.newsshopper.co.uk By Josh Bolton, 9th October 2025.
Plough and Harrow pub Welling: Ex-landlord Ron Hall jailed.
The former landlord of a Welling pub has been jailed after he used a
camera above the urinals to spy on men’s penises.
Ron Hall was running the Plough and Harrow on Bellegrove Road when
between February and December last year he used a spy camera to
capture 106 voyeuristic videos of 16 unknown men.
The videos found on the 50-year-old's phone showed that he had
zoomed in and out on men’s private areas for his sexual
gratification.
But when questioned by police he made light of the offences calling
it a “silly mistake” but that the victims wouldn’t have minded him
watching.
On Thursday, October 9, Hall was jailed for nine months after he
pleaded guilty to 32 offences of voyeurism.
Prosecutor Colette Hanna said the National Crime Agency (NCA) became
aware in April 2024 that Hall was uploading voyeuristic images to a
dropbox online.
He was arrested at the pub on December 17 last year and his phone
was seized – on it police found images from a camera which had been
placed in the men’s toilet.
“The camera was positioned in the corner of the toilet and in some
images it is placed over the urinal.
"The controller of the camera, Mr Hall, was zooming in and out on
the private parts of men as they used the urinal,” Ms Hanna said.
Ron Hall used his phone to watch men using the toilet at the Plough
and Harrow pub(Image: Google Streetview)
Hall instigated the installation of the camera due to a perceived
drug problem.
The contractor who installed it said the urinal area was greyed out
with privacy settings but that Hall removed the privacy settings.
When interviewed by the police Hall made light of the offences, Ms
Hanna said.
At first he said “it’s not voyeurism as nothing has been
distributed”.
He said he made a “silly mistake” but denied any sexual
gratification.
He later admitted to watching adult gay porn on the internet and
said that alongside alcohol abuse contributed to this offence.
When police asked Hall if he thinks the victims would have consented
to him seeing their penises he said “yes because they are straight
men who get their penises out anyway”.
He said all the men knew they were being recorded and made jokes
like “have you been watching my knob” - not knowing the answer was
yes.
Christina Barath, defending, said Hall had lost the role at the pub
and is now a bus driver.
Ms Barath said: “He is incredibly remorseful for his actions and he
said this is simply something he wouldn’t have done if he hadn’t
been drinking.”
She said when Hall was drunk he would watch the footage on his phone
and zoom in on people’s penises.
Ronald Michael Hall (Image: Met Police)
Disctict Judge Sarah Turnock said Hall had “abused his position” of
trust as the pub landlord.
“This was a deliberate and planned operation where you directed the
installation of CCTV and tampered with the settings to remove the
privacy settings and used that to watch men using the urinal,” Judge
Turnock said.
She said Hall showed a “woeful lack of respect for others privacy”.
Judge Turnock said: “There is no prospect of rehabilitation in your
case as you’ve been getting repeated opportunities to demonstrate
remorse and express insight into your behaviour and at all junctions
you’ve refused to do so.
“You’ve minimised your behaviour and sought to minimise your
behaviour saying others wouldn’t have minded.”
When Judge Turnock sentenced Hall to immediate prison time he
exclaimed “Who's going to look after my parrot and my dog? My car is
in the car park outside”. |
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