A voyeur who filmed women showering and upskirted in a Baldock supermarket has been given a 39-week suspended jail sentence.

Colin Hitch, of Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty one count of voyeurism and five counts of operating equipment under clothing to observe another without their consent in a hearing at St Albans Crown Court on August 30, 2022.

His sentence was suspended for 12 months after appearing at the same court on Friday (February 3)

On June 17 last year, a woman shopping in Baldock's Tesco supermarket reported to a store manager, and later to the police, that she believed a man was using a phone in his shopping basket to record footage under her skirt.

A review of CCTV footage showed that Hitch had taken similar footage of four other women that day.

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When police searched through video footage on the 57-year-old's phone, they found a video taken of a woman undressing and showering, seemingly without her consent, as well as more than 900 video clips saved on memory sticks, the majority of which were upskirting.

Hitch admitted to police that he secretly filmed the woman in the shower and regularly upskirted women in supermarkets in Baldock and Hemel Hempstead by placing his phone in his shopping basket.

"Colin Hitch opportunistically filmed women without their consent or knowledge for his own gratification," said Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Mamawai Conteh.

"Upskirting and voyeurism are serious crimes, and Hitch committed them while knowing what he was doing was wrong.

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"He was caught out however when one shopper became suspicious and reported her concerns; thanks to her, Hitch’s illegal activities were uncovered, and we were able to present strong enough evidence that he had no choice but to plead guilty for his crimes."

The Crown Prosecution Service’s national lead for stalking and harassment, Olivia Rose, added: "Feeling safe should not be a luxury for women.

"If someone exposes themselves, tries to take inappropriate pictures or makes you feel threatened on the street, these are crimes, and we will do all we can to support those who come forward."