A 78-year-old man has admitted to putting his mobile phone under the door of a swimming pool changing cubicle in order to film women getting dressed.
Before Truro Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Tuesday was Richard Bandy from Goldsithney, after he pleaded guilty to two matters of voyeurism.
The second of these dated back to November 11, 2024, when Bandy was at Penzance Leisure Centre at around 9 am.
The prosecutor said the defendant used his mobile phone to record a woman getting changed, by placing it under the stall.
However, she spotted his phone and alerted a lifeguard.
The pensioner was escorted away from the changing rooms by the lifeguard and management, to await the arrival of police.
Officers seized his phone, along with a USB stick found at his home.
Further videos were found, with one from two weeks earlier, filmed on October 30, 2024, showing a different woman drying herself.
In total there were five videos of this nature discovered on his devices.
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Initially, Bandy tried to tell police he had dropped his phone on the floor and was going to see if there was any damage.
However, he later admitted filming for sexual gratification.
He described his actions as "shameful", adding he did not know any of the women involved and "I can only apologise to them through the police".
He added: "I have no excuse for what I’ve done and I’m sorry."
In a victim impact statement, the woman in the November incident said she felt unable to return to the leisure centre for a long time after the incident and "still hyperventilates" when getting changed.
Robin Smith, representing Bandy, said the defendant had been banned from Penzance Leisure Centre for his actions.
"He is a man who was exercising in that pool for years and years, also five or six mornings a week. That has had an impact," said Mr Smith, before acknowledging Bandy was "the author of his own misfortune".
Mr Smith said: "He’s thoroughly ashamed, thoroughly remorseful, and knows full well the impact it would have had on those two ladies."
After being told by the probation service that Bandy was unsuitable for a community order due to his health, magistrates fined him £3,477 and ordered him to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £1,391 surcharge.
He was also ordered to pay £840 to the November victim. Despite efforts from police, the October victim could not be identified.
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