Man who tried to film child undressing avoids jail

A MAN who tried to film an 11-year-old girl removing her swimwear in the changing rooms at a public swimming pool has dodged a jail term - and will not be added to the sex offender’s register.

The case was heard at Dundee Sheriff Court. Picture: Allan Milligan

Lee Coull held his mobile phone over the top of a cubicle at Dundee’s Olympia Leisure Centre and tried to video or photograph the child as she changed after swimming.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard the girl shouted out and tried to push the phone away - only for it to re-emerge seconds later in the same place.

Fiscal depute Alex Piper said the incident took place around 4pm on Tuesday, shortly after the victim had been swimming with a friend.

She said: “The friends were in separate cubicles next to each other and were talking to each other as they changed.

“The complainer’s friend passed a bottle of juice to her under the bottom of the cubicle.

“The complainer bent down to pick it up and at that point they became aware of a male in the cubicle opposite.

“A few minutes later the child looked up and saw a black mobile phone being held from the opposite cubicle, looking down at them.

“They shouted ‘Go away’ and at the same time they tried to hit the phone away.

“The phone disappeared, only to appear at the same area a few seconds later.

“The complainer became upset, and with the friend they walked round to the next row of cubicles to see if they could see anyone.

“The friends noticed that one of the cubicles was still locked and the rest were all vacant.

“They informed staff and police were contacted.”

Coull, 26, of Alloway Terrace, admitted a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm by placing his mobile phone over the top of a changing cubicle and attempting to take a video or photograph of a young girl.

The incident took place on April 14.

Theo Finlay, defending, said: “The background reports suggest he is a low risk.”

He argued that the sheriff had the discretionary power to not add Coull to the sex offender’s register - even though the case “arguably had a significant sexual element”.

Sheriff Alistair Carmichael imposed a community payback order with 18 months supervision and did not add Coull to the sex offender’s register.