Voyeur used mobile phone to secretly film woman in shower

Monday 19 June 2023

A 47-year-old has been sent to prison for filming a woman in the shower through her bathroom window – following previous convictions for other voyeurism offences against teenage girls.

Neil Christian Marett was sentenced to 10-and-a-half months' imprisonment for the offence, as well as stealing around £225 of groceries from a supermarket.

The Magistrate’s Court heard last week that Marett had used his mobile phone to record images of the woman showering without her knowledge or consent.

Appearing in court via video link from HMP La Moye, Marett admitted the offences of voyeurism and theft.

Crown Advocate Lauren Taylor, prosecuting, said the offence had taken place on 12 February. Marett stood outside the house filming the woman through the bathroom window.

Pictured: Marett had previous convictions.

"When she noticed it, she shouted and the phone disappeared," Advocate Taylor said.

"Her boyfriend went outside and the defendant was located. He took out his phone and started deleting images."

When he was arrested, 21 images of her woman in the shower was found on his phone. Swabs taken from the outside bathroom window bore his DNA.

On 4 March, Marett stole food and alcohol worth £55 from the Marks & Spencer supermarket in St. Clement. He returned to the shop two weeks later and stole another £170-worth of goods.

Marett was already on the Sex Offenders’ Register and under its requirements he has to inform the Police if he changes address. However, the court heard that he had moved last year without informing them.

Pictured: The case was heard in the Magistrate's Court last week.

Advocate Taylor added that Marett had a string of previous convictions, including filming teenage girls in the shower and girls on the beach. He was considered at high risk of re-offending.

Advocate David Steenson, defending, said Marett had not engaged with him.

He told the court: "Mr Marett is resigned to a prison sentence. He suggests that I offer no mitigation."

He said Marett had no money and so could not pay the supermarket back for the items he stole.

Relief Magistrate Sarah Fitz told Marett: "This is particularly serious because you filmed a woman in her own home. You accept no responsibility for your actions."

She sentenced him to nine months in prison for voyeurism, one month for breaching the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders’ Register and one week each for the two thefts, with the sentences to run consecutively.

She also imposed a restraining order barring him from approaching or following the victim or loitering within 50 metres of her home or workplace for five years.