Convicted sex offender, 41, stands for election as MP for Hartlepool – saying he didn't admit to locals that he was sentenced for filming unconscious naked woman 'to see if he would be found out'

  • Christopher Killick, 42, was convicted of sexual offence of voyeurism last year
  • He filmed a naked woman as she lay unconscious in a hotel room back in 2015 
  • She fought for five years for court case, after being told actions were not illegal
  • Now Killick is set to contest the parliamentary by-election in Hartlepool in May
  • However, he risked upsetting residents by not declaring conviction on leaflets

By James Robinson for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

A sex offender set to stand for election as an MP has admitted he didn't tell locals about his conviction because he wanted 'to see if he would be found out'.

Christopher Killick is to contest a parliamentary by-election in Hartlepool in May - a little over a year since he was convicted of voyeurism.

The 41-year-old last year pleaded guilty to filming a naked woman as she lay unconscious in a hotel room in 2015.

On top of the incident, his victim had to endure a five year legal battle just to get the case to court, after prosecutors initially told her what Killick did  was not illegal.

As she prepared to go to the Court of Appeal, a judge in another similar case ruled that filming a partner during sex without consent was unlawful - and Killick was subsequently convicted by magistrates. 

Killick was given a 30-month community order, fined £2,000 and put on the sex offenders' register for five years.

But now, just over 12 months on, the sex offender plans to contest the Hartlepool by-election in May as an independent candidate.

Though laws introduced in 2018 ban sex offenders from running as local councillors, there are no such rules for parliament.

If Killick wins he could land a seat in the House of Commons and an £81,000-a-year salary.

Christopher Killick (pictured outside court last year) is to contest a parliamentary by-election in Hartlepool in May - a little over a year since was convicted of voyeurism

Christopher Killick (pictured outside court last year) is to contest a parliamentary by-election in Hartlepool in May - a little over a year since was convicted of voyeurism

However Killick, who only moved to the area from north-London several weeks ago, has risked further upsetting residents in the constituency - by not declaring his convictions on his election leaflets.

Who can stand as an MP and are there rules banning sex offenders from standing as politicians?

There are currently no rules banning sex offenders from running to become an MP.

To stand as a candidate you only need to be aged over 18, a British citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland and a citizen of a commonwealth country who does not require leave to enter or remain in the UK, or has indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

There are some people are banned from running, such as police officers, civil servants and judges, as well as people in the armed forces.

People who are subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order in England, or equivalents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, are also banned from running.

Those who wish to become a candidate have to complete a set of nomination forms and send a £500 deposit to - which is lost if a candidate does not secure at least 5 per cent of the vote.

Unlike with parliamentary seats, sex offenders cannot run for a seat as a local councillor, under new rules introduced in 2018.

 

Advertisement

Killick said he had originally intended to share details of his past, but 'got a bit frightened'.

He said: 'When I didn't put the sex offence on my election leaflet, I did that because I wanted to see what whether I'd be 'found out'.

'I suppose I knew it was going to come out eventually. I've been punished and I'm still being punished.' 

Killick will be one of 16 candidates contesting the seat, which follows the resignation of Labour MP Mike Hill amid allegations of sexual harassment. 

Mr Hill, 57, who has been the town's MP since 2017, was due to face an employment tribunal later this year into claims of 'sexual harassment and victimisation'.

He has denies the allegations.

Killick, who is originally from London and went to university in Sussex, described  his decision to run as an MP was 'an experiment'. 

He said: 'I'm doing an experiment to see how much publicity I can get.

'Not by speaking about the offence I committed, but by speaking about the stuff I really care about.

'The question is now, whether I'll be tolerated.' 

Killick was initially arrested on suspicion of rape in 2015.

His victim alleged she had been both drugged and raped by Killick after waking up in a hotel room in Bethnal Green with no memory of how she got there.

Police dropped the rape charge due to a lack of evidence.

But during their investigation they discovered a 62-second video his victim lying naked on the hotel bed, which Killick admitted to having taken for his later sexual gratification.

Prosecutors told the victim that his filming was not illegal multiple times. This led her to launch a crowdfunding campaign for a judicial review.

Shortly before the legal challenge was due to be heard however, the Court of Appeal ruled in a separate case that filming someone in an intimate act without consent was always unlawful.

Killick will be one of 16 candidates contesting the seat, which follows the resignation of Labour MP Mike Hill amid allegations of sexual harassment

Killick was initially arrested on suspicion of rape of his victim in 2015. His victim alleged she had been both drugged and raped by Killick after waking up in a hotel room in Bethnal Green with no memory of how she got there. Police dropped the rape charge due to a lack of evidence

The decision not to prosecute Killick was then reassessed, and at a Stratford Magistrates' Court hearing last year, he was ordered to pay his victim £5,000 in compensation and put on the Sexual Offenders Register for five years.

The conviction made national headlines, with his victim speaking about how she had campaigned for five years for justice.   

Killick said: 'I've had a lot of time to think about what I did. It was a mistake and I wouldn't do it again. 

'I've never underestimated the seriousness of the offence.

'When I was arrested in 2015 on suspicion of rape, I told the police that I had made this video.

'I didn't know whether it was illegal or not, but I knew it was wrong.

'I've always maintained that it was a big mistake and I want to say I'm sorry that she's had to go through such a long process in order to get this conviction.' 

Killick is currently unemployed, but has previously worked as a shop sales assistant.

He will be on the Sex Offender's Register until September, 2025.  There are currently no rules banning sex offenders from running for a seat as an MP.

To stand as a candidate you only need to be aged over 18, a British citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland and a citizen of a commonwealth country who does not require leave to enter or remain in the UK, or has indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

There are some people are banned from running, such as police officers, civil servants and judges, and people in the armed forces.

People who are subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order in England, or equivalents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, are also banned from running.

Those who wish to become a candidate have to complete a set of nomination forms and send a £500 deposit - which is lost if a candidate does not secure at least 5 per cent of the vote.

Unlike with parliamentary seats, sex offenders cannot run for a seat as a local councillor, under new rules introduced in 2018. 

Killick will contest the Hartlepool seat along with 15 other candidates, a number of whom are independent.

Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems and the Green Party will all put candidates up for the by-election. 

Most watched News videos

Comments 1

Share what you think

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.