Court security guard secretly filmed legs of women lawyers and fiscals court

A RELIANCE officer who secretly filmed the faces, legs and backsides of female lawyers, advocates, sheriff clerks, fiscals and fellow female officers he worked alongside for more than two years faces a lengthy jail sentence.

Geoffrey Mark was finally exposed when he was caught by undercover police officers filming female shoppers in a supermarket carpark in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, on 11 September, 2010.

Prosecutor Ann Francis Hilley told Airdrie Sheriff Court that Mark, 47, conducted himself in a disorderly manner and committed a breach of the peace by “the covert filming of the clothed hinder parts, upper body and legs of female shoppers and other women”. The fiscal told the court Mark stored the images on his mobile phone.

Defence counsel Tony Lenahan confirmed to the court on Mark’s behalf that the Reliance officer admitted all 16 charges he faced, the first of which began on 1 June, 2004, until he was finally caught.

Yesterday, Mr Lenahan said: “A social inquiry report is now available, but it is my motion that this case be extended to explore the future risk he poses to the public. There have been concerns raised in the report and I would like a forensic psychologist to examine my client.”

Ms Hilley told Sheriff Frank Pieri how for more than six years on “various occasions” from his home in Allan Street, Kirkwood, Coatbridge, Mark secretly filmed his neighbour.

Ms Hilley said: “He filmed her in the garden area, clothed in swimwear, filmed her outside her house, whilst she was pregnant, and repeatedly filmed her in a state of undress and within her own home. All of these images were stored on his mobile phone.”

His next victim was a female bookmaker whom he secretly filmed at Ladbrokes Bookmakers, Gartsherrie Road and Whifflet Street, both Coatbridge, between 1 January, 2008 and 11 September, 2010.

Ms Hilley added: “He photographed and filmed her face, clothed hinder parts and legs.”

His fetish took a twist when it was revealed, while acting as a Reliance officer stationed within Glasgow Sheriff Court, that he secretly filmed a solicitor within the court on various occasions.

He filmed her face, clothed “hinder parts”, legs and feet and on one occasion within the cell area of the court, filmed her conversation with a client and stored the images on his phone.

Ms Hilley said: “On one occasion, he filmed her while she was conducting a summary trial and stored the images of the trial on his phone.”

He also admitted secretly filming three other solicitors within Glasgow Sheriff Court on various occasions.

Mark also pled guilty, while working within the court as a Reliance officer, to secretly filming the legs and faces of three female sheriff clerk deputes as well as two Reliance officers. All the images were once again stored on his phone.

He then turned his attentions to some of the leading female members of the Scottish bar and on various occasions covertly filmed two advocates working within Glasgow Sheriff Court.

Ms Hilley added: “When he next comes back to court, a DVD will be shown in court of his filming.”

He also photographed a procurator fiscal depute and an employee within the sheriff clerk’s office at Glasgow.

Sheriff Frank Pieri said: “I will continue consideration of the question of any significant sexual aspects to the circumstances of this case until the next time you appear before me. There is a possible risk to the public, which is of great concern to me.”

Sentence on Mark was deferred until next month and bail continued.