Electrician Paul Mathew Mackenzie pleads guilty to masturbating on old flame’s bed while checking her smoke alarms

The electrician was tasked to check the smoke alarms at an old flame’s unit – but her doorbell camera revealed what he really did.

A Mackay tradie has been called 'creepy' after he was caught playing with his own equipment on an old flame's bed while at her home to check the smoke alarms.

The 38-year-old electrician had been tasked to the South Mackay home by the property manager, but unbeknown him the victim had left her doorbell camera charging on her bedside table.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard the work order had accidentally been sent to a different email address so when she received a notification that someone was at her front door on August 28, 2020, she was confused.

"Opening the notification, she observed a male who she recognised … pleasuring himself on her bed," prosecutor Robert Beamish said.

Tradie Paul Mathew Mackenzie was labelled ‘creepy’ over his conduct in August 2020.

 

After work she immediately went home to make sure nothing had been stolen.

"She could not see any distinguishing marks on her bedsheets, however she placed them in a plastic bag and threw them away," Mr Beamish said.

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Paul Mathew Mackenzie was initially charged with burglary, which was downgraded to trespassing - to which he pleaded guilty.

"This is just creepy behaviour isn't it, going into an ex partner's bedroom and masturbating on her bed," Magistrate Damien Dwyer said.

Solicitor Jordana Abela, of McKay's Solicitors, said her client had known the victim since high school and in 2017 they had been in a sexual relationship.

"He had previously been at that address for work purposes and as well as in a personal capacity," Ms Abela said.

"He instructs me at the time of the offending they were talking about commencing a relationship, but that subsequently has not eventuated for obvious reasons."

Mr Dwyer labelled the conduct as "disturbing".

"Going to an ex's house and masturbating on her bed, is giving me great concerns," he said.

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Ms Abela said Mackenzie had no criminal history and the offending was out of character.

"Well is it, I don't know. He certainly has no history. But that's not something that just happens on a whim," Mr Dwyer said.

"I accept that he obviously has acted outside the scope of what he was required to be there for," Ms Abela replied.

Mr Dwyer agreed with Ms Abela's push for probation.

The court heard Mackenzie had paid to replace the woman's linen and house keys.

"I'm going to try and nip this in the bud, but any repetition of this … it's very serious in my view," Mr Dwyer said.

Mackenzie was ordered to complete 12 months probation. A conviction was not recorded.

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Originally published as Electrician Paul Mathew Mackenzie pleads guilty to masturbating on old flame’s bed while checking her smoke alarms