Man blames wife's menopause for filming women in changing room

A middle-aged man in Britain, who escaped being jailed after he filmed women in a changing room at a leisure centre, has blamed Viagra and his wife's menopause for his perverted behaviour.

Neil Smith, 57, was caught while filming a woman, who had been swimming with her five-year-old son and was getting changed with him, at Hillsborough Leisure Centre, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on August 11.

Smith, of Barnsley, South Yorks, was spotted pointing the digital video camera into the cubicle, twisting and turning the device to get a better view of his shocked victim.

Police uncovered a peeping Tom's tool kit, including a jacket down the sleeve of which they recovered a 30cm plastic ruler attached with elastic bands to a video recorder

They also discovered a plastic bag containing batteries, a partly used bottle of lubricant, a vibrating male masturbating device, a used swimming costume, a mirror and a camera case.

Police also found a clip of the woman and child in a camera memory card hidden inside a sock, as well as covert footage showing other females getting changed.

Smith, who admitted voyeurism, was given a three-year community order with supervision, and also ordered to attend a sex offender programme, and given a sex offender probation order.

Judge Simon Lawler QC said he was torn between jailing Smith as punishment for his crime and giving him a community order, which would allow him to be rehabilitated and protect the public.

"You decided to take these cameras to pray on women. I have to try and prevent re-offending by you and protect the public in the long term," the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.