A 44-year-old man who crept into a shower cubicle to secretly film a woman getting changed at a popular swimming pool in Dundee has been barred from visiting leisure facilities.
Craig Ellingford lurked around the changing area at the Olympia Leisure Pool until he was sure he was alone with his unsuspecting victim. Dundee Sheriff Court heard that he waited until the woman had partially undressed and stepped into a shower before tip-toeing into the cubicle next to hers.
The incident came to light when the horrified woman bent down to untie her laces and spotted his mobile phone pointed up towards her. Ellingford, of Cardross Place in Dundee, pleaded guilty to committing an act of voyeurism at the Olympia leisure pool complex. He admitted using equipment with the intent of enabling himself or another person to observe a woman performing a private act, by using a mobile phone inside a shower cubicle to watch her while she was undressed.
Fiscal depute Alan Bell told the court: "The accused was seen on CCTV arriving in a t-shirt and jeans and walking to the locker room and getting changed. The woman arrived a short time later and also went to the gym. She exited and went to the locker room to go to her locker. A minute or so after that the accused entered the locker room. He wanders around, checking if she is still at her locker. He wanders to and from the water fountain, checking and appearing to wait for the locker room to empty. At 4.35pm it was only her and the accused present. She goes into a cubicle and he sees this, then checks no-one is around. He's seen walking to the shower cubicle directly next to her. He is seen actually almost tip-toeing into the cubicle. She began to undress before getting into the shower. She had removed her leggings and was wearing a t-shirt, pants and flip flops. She bent down to loosed her laces and noticed the phone being held, pointing towards her, as if trying to get the best angle."
The woman stood up and asked: "Excuse me, did you take a photo of me?" Ellingford ignored her and she quickly got dressed and left the cubicle. She waited outside to challenge him, but Ellingford walked straight past her, prompting her to report the incident to a staff member and subsequently to the police. When officers spoke with her, they noted she was "visibly shaken, distressed and holding back tears". She was forced to pause her statement on several occasions to regain her composure.
Defending solicitor Doug McConnell told the court: "The report shows he is embarrassed and ashamed and deeply apologetic to the victim. This has already had an effect on him and his family. He knows what he has done is wrong and it has had a great effect on him, but the court will be more concerned about the victim's interests."
Sheriff Mark O'Hanlon handed down a conduct order that included a ban from leisure facilities, placed him under supervision and on the sex offenders register for nine months, and ordered him to complete 165 hours of unpaid work. He said: "You are a first offender, but this is a concerning matter, whereby you waited for this young lady to go into the shower cubicle and you followed her in."
