A pervert was caught using his mobile phone to video record a woman getting undressed and later sent her a written apology in a card and on a napkin.
Dale Johnston, 29, propped up his device against a pillow in the bedroom of an Aberdeen property on October 11 last year and left after setting the camera to record.
Although it captured a woman getting changed, the observant victim spotted the suspicious mobile and realised what was happening after examining it.
When she discovered Johnston’s phone had recorded a video of her in a state of undress, she deleted it.
But when the sex fiend returned to the room and noticed that his device had been moved, he immediately apologised for his sordid voyeuristic escapade.
Dale Johnston was caught during the act of voyeurism at the Aberdeen property
Explaining to Aberdeen Sheriff Court what happened on the day of the incident, the fiscal depute said: “The complainer changed her top and bra, noticing that the accused’s mobile phone was propped up against the pillow on the bed – the camera facing towards the area where she’d been changing.
“Concerned by this, she picked up the phone and observed that the camera was recording a video of her and realised the recording would have captured her in a state of undress.
“She immediately stopped the recording, deleted it from the accused’s phone and placed it back on the bed.”
Later, Johnston came back to the room, noticed his phone had been moved, picked it up and “instantly apologised”.
The woman told him she “did not want to hear his apology” and left – never speaking to him ever again.
But the next day, she received a number of apologies from Johnston and decided to contact the police.
Kinallen man’s mobile phone mischief costs him his reputation and a fine
Johnston, of Banbridge Road, Kinallen in Northern Ireland, pled guilty to a charge of voyeurism.
Defence agent George Mathers, speaking at an earlier hearing, said: “He has asked me publicly to apologise yet again to the complainer for his behaviour, which he still finds it very difficult for him to understand”.
Mr Mathers said his client seemed a “well-educated, decent, hardworking individual” and that the offence was a “complete aberration”.
He added Johnston, in the wake of the incident, had sent the woman an apology card and an apologetic message on a napkin.
“He’s thoroughly ashamed of himself and he’s deeply embarrassed,” the solicitor added.
Sheriff Ian Wallace placed Johnston on the sex offenders register, ordered him to be supervised for 18 months and fined him £1,040.
The sheriff also imposed an order on Johnston, banning him from contacting or approaching the woman.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
