It has been awhile since any new 'sleewatching' incidents have been reported in the south end of Halifax, but the file remains open, and women in the area haven’t forgotten about the creepy case.
“There were a couple tough nights sleeping, I was always scared,” says resident Alex Evans. “Every little noise you heard, you'd wonder, is that someone going to come and break into my apartment, invade my privacy? It was definitely scary.”
There were multiple reports of women waking up to find a man watching them sleep between 2005 and 2011 and at one point, it looked like police might have caught the so-called ‘ South End Sleepwatcher.’
Barry Edward Sinclair was arrested a year ago after his cellphone was discovered at the scene of a break and enter.
In that case, a woman in a south end apartment woke up after a man entered her bedroom door.
Sinclair was charged with five counts of voyeurism and two counts of break and enter in the case.
The judge found Sinclair guilty of break and enter because he said the cellphone proved he had been there.
However, the judge acquitted Sinclair on the voyeurism charges.
This week, Sinclair was sentenced to five years in prison and some residents are admitting they are relieved.
“Knowing that there isn't somebody walking around with the potential to, not necessarily harm us, but scare us and invade what we consider our personal property, our safe space, it's a relief to know, absolutely,” says Evans.
University officials say students should still lock their doors as a precaution.
“The bottom line is, smart behaviour should be exercised by folks all the time, regardless of this case or not,” says Dalhousie University spokesperson Charles Crosby.
Resident Allan Lavell agrees.
“It’s not clear whether or not it was one person doing this, it could have been multiple people. So I don't think people should just stop locking their doors because one guy is in jail,” says Lavell.
Police say they don’t have any information to suggest women in the south end are more at risk or less at risk since Sinclair was sent to prison, but they say the case remains open.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl
