Christchurch man Graham Smith (62) spared jail over 'upskirting' girls in shop

A 62-YEAR-OLD man from Christchurch was spared jail for secretly taking photos up the skirts of girls in a shop for his own "sexual gratification".

Graham Smith (62) sobbed and shook violently in the dock as Poole Magistrates' Court was told his life had been “completely destroyed” and he was now a “broken man” since he admitted the charge – commonly known as upskirting.

CCTV footage was shown of Smith approaching his victims in the chiller aisle of a Bournemouth Co-op.

Deputy District Judge Kirsty Allman told him: “You target three girls – attempting to film one, then you loiter about and when two other girls come in you start filming them.

“You violated them in the most degrading manner as they go about their daily business.”

He had then, she added, gone and watched the footage for his “own sexual gratification”.

Smith had also admitted to police doing the same thing “once or twice” after he was arrested.

Prosecutor Richard Withey said Smith was caught after he knocked the second girl’s knee with his basket. When she looked down she saw a “mobile phone facing upwards”.

She immediately alerted staff. Smith fled the scene but was later tracked down by police.

He admitted filming the girls, telling police he had later driven up to nearby cliffs to watch the footage.

He had subsequently deleted the video. His first victim remained unidentified, the court heard.

Defence solicitor Paul Legg said Smith had been in a “bad way” when he committed the offences on 11th December last year and now “hates himself” for what he did.

A granddaughter was still-born just months before, Mr Legg explained, and six years of being a carer for his seriously ill partner had taken its toll.

Mr Legg said since his arrest his client had been “targeted by vigilantes”, having to leave his home and losing contact with his family.

But he said Smith, who works for a renovation company, still paid his partner’s bills and was the family’s main breadwinner.

He was “very remorseful” and “accepts his behaviour was completely wrong”.

A probation report put Smith “at low risk” of re-offending and he was of previous good character.

Judge Allman said aggravating factors of the offence were that “the victim was a child” and he had earlier targeted another girl on the same day.

She told him it was partly due to the “significant impact on your family” that he was not going directly to jail.

Instead, she suspended for 18 months a prison sentence of 20 weeks, and ordered he adhere to a rehabilitation order for 30 days.

Smith was also given a sexual harm prevention order for seven years which means he has to tell police within three days when he has acquired a phone or other device capable of taking or recording images.

He will also go on the sexual offenders register. Smith was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £128 and costs of £85.

Smith admitted at a previous court appearance a charge of recording an image beneath the clothing of another person to observe without consent.