Physio filmed patient for ‘sexual arousal’ at western Sydney clinic, court hears
A physiotherapist accused of filming patients at a western Sydney clinic has pleaded not guilty to eight charges. Court documents allege the 52-year-old installed a concealed camera in a wall hung clothes hook.
AN alleged peeping Tom physiotherapist will fight charges he installed a secret camera in a change room to film patients undressing.
Police allege 52-year-old Andrew Weinzettel installed the hidden camera in a wall behind a clothes hook and also videoed a woman for “sexual arousal” three years ago.
It is also alleged Weinzettel had been secretly filming another woman at the Cecil Hills home he shared with his wife and kids between 2015 and 2016.
The change room camera was only discovered last month at the physiotherapy business, which cannot be named for legal reasons.
The next day police arrested Weinzettel — who has been registered as a physiotherapist for 15 years — at his home where they seized more “items”.
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He has now been charged with seven counts of filming a person’s private parts without consent to obtain sexual arousal in aggravated circumstances and installing a device to film someone’s private parts. Six of the charges relate to alleged filming at his own home.
His lawyer Roy Marando entered not guilty pleas to all the offences during his first appearance at Fairfield Local Court on Monday, where it was revealed one alleged victim was a high school student aged either 17 or 18 at the time she was filmed.
“The matters will proceed rightly through the criminal justice system and my client will carry the presumption of innocence to the finalisation of these matters,” Mr Marando said outside court.
Court documents allege that Weinzettel installed a camera at his workplace and filmed an “unknown” female patient sometime between 2015 and 2018.
The woman staying at his family home was allegedly filmed five times between 2015 and 2016.
Police bail documents state that Weinzettel lives with his family. “The offence is of a sexual nature,” the documents state. They also state that Weinzettel made admissions to police about the offences and that he had shown remorse.
He was first registered as a physiotherapist in 2003 and lists his languages as Italian and English. He has now been suspended.
A statement by the physiotherapy centre said it was shocked by the charges.
“Our thoughts are with all our patients, especially the patient who discovered the device,” the centre said.
As part of his bail conditions Weinzettel has been ordered not to go near the physiotherapy business he was employed at and has had to surrender his passport.
The matter will return to court in February.
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