A Gateshead man who was found with indecent images of children and voyeuristic videos has been jailed after later intimidating a man with an imitation firearm while on bail.
Payam Golestani, 28, of Selbourne Avenue, Gateshead, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for three counts of making indecent images, voyeurism, careless driving, possession of an imitation firearm, and possession of an offensive weapon. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.
Indecent images discovered
The court heard that on May 20 2024, police raided Golestani's home after receiving information that he was in possession of indecent images. His iPad and an iPhone were seized, with category A, B and C images and videos being found, depicting children between the ages of 12 and 16 years old.
Jennifer Coxon, prosecuting, told the court that 50 voyeuristic videos of men were also discovered. She said: "Videos were taken in toilet cubicles and videos taken through a hole in the wall." Golestani had also been having online chats regarding the images and videos that had been found.
Gun offence while on bail
While on bail for those offences, Golestani committed further serious offences on August 13 this year. He walked into Low Fell Fish Bar and approached a man, who was with his family at the time, and "questioned" him about damage that had been caused to his partner's Peugeot windscreen.
The court heard the man "protested" that he had nothing to do with it. They both then went outside to have a look at the car.
Ms Coxon said: "The defendant started to shout at him, saying 'I will do whatever the f*** I want'. He then lifted his top and had a handgun in his waistband."
Ms Coxon said that the man was "intimidated", and that Golestani's behaviour "made him think he would be shot or seriously harmed". The incident happened to be caught on the Peugeot dashcam, and when police reviewed more of the footage, it showed Golestani had previously been driving at 60mph in a 30mph area and ran a red light.
An extendable baton was also found in his car and a "large quantity" of imitation firearms were later found in his shed. The court heard he had one previous conviction for a driving matter.
Sentencing
Tony Cornberg, defending, said Golestani made "full admissions" in court. He said: "He has his own sexual trauma that lies behind a lot of this. A result of that being a degree of sexual preoccupation, trying to rationalise what happened to him."
"The other offences were committed [during] a self-destruction kind of situation. He comes from a solid family and will live under their supervision after his release."
Recorder Jamie Hill jailed Golestani for 20 months. He will be on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and a 10 year sexual harm prevention order was also imposed.
