Rasmussen man sentenced in Townsville Magistrates Court for filming roommate take shower

A Townsville concreter who filmed his roommate in the shower claims he was ‘hazy’ on the details of the ‘terrible’ invasion of privacy.

Man caught filming flatmate in shower Picture: istock/Paulo Castro

A man claimed alcohol was the reason behind filming his roommate as she took a shower in their shared home.

The Rasmussen man who cannot be named to protect the identity of the woman involved, appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning via video link as he had been arrested due to separate offences.

The court was told on Anzac Day this year the 33-year-old stood outside the window of his home that peered into the bathroom and filmed the female roommate on his phone as she showered.

Magistrate Viviana Keegan noted from the outset that the offending seemed “opportunistic” rather than pre-planned.

When deciding if the matter could be dealt with in the magistrates court immediately, police prosecutor Tim Madsen said there would be no jail term sentence involved.

Defence lawyer Michael Spearman said his client was a concreter and was drunk at the time he filmed her.

“All I can say is he was very intoxicated at the time and is hazy on the details of the offence,” he said.

Her Honour re-emphasised the opportunistic nature of the offence.

“Not to excuse it, but it’s poor judgement, it’s a terrible thing to do to someone,” she said.

The man pleaded guilty to recording in breach of privacy.

He was sentenced to 100 hours community service to complete within 12 months.

Originally published as Rasmussen man sentenced in Townsville Magistrates Court for filming roommate take shower