William Sylvanus Gawthorn pleads guilty to recording in breach of privacy
A married former accounts clerk, now Uber driver, from Brisbane has been caught filming his neighbours having sex through their bedroom window.
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A former accounts clerk from Brisbane has been dealt a hefty fine for a five-hour video he shot of his neighbours having sex without their consent.
William Sylvanus Gawthorn, 27, of appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday, December 1 and pleaded guilty to two counts of recording in breach of privacy.
The court heard the charges related to him filming his neighbours through their bedroom window for five hours while they had sex.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Tri Pham said the man had arguably made “every attempt” to view the footage, but he was detected and charged with recording in breach of privacy.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment.
Mr Gawthorn’s lawyer Robert Raiti told the court his client was remorseful and understood his actions were “stupid”.
“He’ll never do anything like that again,” Mr Raiti said.
“He’s never viewed the file, never looked at the file.”
Magistrate Kay Philipson interjected, stating Mr Gawthorn’s actions were clearly premeditated and not “off the cuff”.
Mr Raiti indicated Mr Gawthorn was otherwise a generally upstanding citizen who has been married since 2018, does not take drugs, and “never smokes”.
He said the 27-year-old completed Year 12 at Kedron State High School and later earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Griffith University.
The court heard Mr Gawthorn worked as an accounts clerk at prominent law firm McInnes Wilson Lawyers between 2013 and 2017, then as an Uber driver from 2020 to this year.
Mr Raiti asked Ms Philipson to consider imposing a good behaviour bond, considering Mr Gawthorn had no criminal history and was remorseful.
“(I’m not) giving him a good behaviour bond for 12 months,” Ms Philipson said.
“He’s gone and purposefully set up a recording into his neighbours’ bedroom window.”
Ms Philipson took into account Mr Gawthorn’s plea of guilty and the “appalling and bizarre” nature of his “premeditated” offending.
She said his lack of a criminal history did not detract from the seriousness of his actions.
Mr Gawthorn was fined $1500 and no conviction was recorded.
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