A candid camera creep who recorded people using the toilet at a Perthshire café has been ordered to take part in a sex offenders’ rehabilitation scheme for three years.
Peeping Tom pensioner Raymond Finlay hid a camcorder in the bathroom at the Braco Coffee Shop.
However, the 77-year-old was caught out after he unwittingly filmed himself concealing the device under a sink.
Finlay, from Stirling, pled guilty to a single charge of voyeurism when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court in November.
He returned to the dock for sentencing on Thursday.
Sheriff Euan Duthie asked him to agree to a community payback order.
“I’m satisfied that the offence is serious enough to warrant the imposition of this order to protect the public,” he said.
Finlay will be required to take part in the Moving Forward: Making Changes programme for sex offenders.
“If you don’t comply with this order a warrant will be issued for your arrest and you will be brought back to this court,” the sheriff said.
“If that happens you could have the order revoked and you could be imprisoned.”
Finlay was also placed on supervision for three years.
He will stay on the Sex Offenders Register for the same period.
Green flashing light under the sink
The court heard Finlay filmed several unsuspecting men and woman using the facilities on August 5, 2019, while he sat eating lunch nearby.
He abruptly left when the device was spotted by an eagle-eyed member of staff.
Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie told the court Finlay entered the establishment at around 1.30pm.
“He ordered food items and paid with his debit card,” said Ms Ritchie.
“At 2.22pm, the shop manager attended at the unisex toilets within the premises.
“She observed a camcorder device which was attached to a pipe under the sink, facing the toilet, with a green light flashing.
“She removed the device and switched it off.”
‘I’ve done something terrible’
The camera was carefully placed in a plastic bag and reported to police.
Officers reviewed the footage and saw Finlay setting up the camera.
He had filmed several people using the toilet.
“Police traced the accused using details from the bank card,” said Ms Ritchie.
Officers went to arrest Finlay at his home in Cruckburn Wynd in October 2020.
They heard him say to his wife: “I’ve done something terrible.”
The court heard that Finlay suffered from ill health and an ambulance was called during his arrest.
