A creepy voyeur who tip-toed into a shower cubicle to secretly film a woman at a popular pool and gym has been banned from attending leisure facilities. Craig Ellingford skulked around the changing area at the Olympia Leisure Pool in Dundee until he was certain he was alone with his unsuspecting victim.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that he waited until the woman partially stripped and entered a shower before “tip-toeing” into the shower cubicle next door. The court was told that he was caught out when the horrified woman bent down to loosen her laces and noticed his mobile phone pointing up at her.
Ellingford, 44, of Cardross Place in Dundee, admitted carrying out an act of voyeurism at the Olympia leisure pool complex in the city. He admitted operating equipment with the intention of enabling himself or another to observe a woman doing a private act, by using a mobile phone within a shower cubicle to watch her in a state of undress.
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 dressed and left the cubicle. She waited outside to confront him, but Ellingford walked straight past her, so she reported him to a member of staff and subsequently to the police.
When police spoke to her, they observed that she was “visibly shaken, distressed and holding back tears.” She had to halt giving a statement several times to compose herself.
Solicitor Doug McConnell, defending, 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 imposed a conduct order including a ban on using leisure facilities, placed him under supervision and on the sex offenders register for nine months, and told him to carry out 165 hours 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.”
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