Matthew Lucas (Ebenezer) Bransgrove, 36, locked up after masturbating outside family’s Ballina, NSW home

A Northern Rivers peeping Tom with a shocking history of public exposure offending was caught naked and masturbating in the backyard of a family’s home.

Peeping Tom Bransgrove has a history of offensive behaviour. Picture: iStock

A Ballina landscaper with a history of exposing himself in public was jailed after being busted naked and masturbating while peering into a children’s playroom inside a family home.

Matthew Lucas (Ebenezer) Bransgrove, 36, was sentenced at Lismore Local Court for peeping or prying, two counts of stalking/intimidation and breaking and entering and stealing (under $60,000).

He also pleaded guilty and was penalised for behaving offensively in public and entering enclosed land without a lawful excuse.

Bransgrove was busted by a home security system. Picture: iStock

Bransgrove went through the back gate of a West Ballina home and into a courtyard about 4.30am on July 27 last year, police state in court documents.

Officers determined Bransgrove “was not wearing any clothes” but was “carrying a blue T-shirt to cover his genitals”.

Bransgrove crept up to the house and exposed himself through a sliding door.

“After pulling his T-shirt to the side and exposing his penis, Bransgrove masturbated for some time while looking into the glass sliding door leading to a children’s playroom,” police state.

Only one member of the family was home at the time and she was woken by a home security system, which caught out Bransgrove.

The offending was reported to police and the family expressed their “extreme anxiousness and mental anguish” over the behaviour.

Bransgrove – who documents state has “four previous convictions for the offence of wilful and obscene exposure” in public – admitted the offending to police when he was confronted.

Police told the court: “He also has five previous convictions for the offence of behaving in an offensive manner in a public place.”

Bransgrove pleaded guilty. Picture: File

Magistrate Michael Dakin sentenced Bransgrove to one year and two months jail-time, with a seven month non-parole period.

Bransgrove was also placed on a community correction order for two years.

Pleas came late last year and Bransgrove was originally due to hear his fate on December 14. However, sentencing was pushed back to February, it was later revealed.

Bransgrove was referred to in earlier court documents by the middle name Ebenezer, but that has since been changed to Lucas.

Originally published as Matthew Lucas (Ebenezer) Bransgrove, 36, locked up after masturbating outside family’s Ballina, NSW home