Let-off for devout Christian who got his kicks watching women urinate
A devout Christian who hid a spy camera inside an air vent at a Starbucks toilet to satisfy his fetish for watching women urinate has been spared jail.
Antony Dines, 31, was caught after the tiny device was discovered above the loo in the branch in Vauxhall, south London, directly opposite MI6’s HQ.
Dines hid another device in a ladies’ toilet on the third floor at his workplace at New Malden Business Centre in southwest London.
He was arrested in front of law firm colleagues with a bag containing small cameras, memory cards, a screwdriver and nine pairs of women’s underwear.
The match-boxed size spa camera at Starbucks had been left filming for nine months before a regular customer found it in the air vent on November 27 last year and alerted staff.
Detectives released an image of Dines a year ago in which he could be seen reaching up towards the camera.
He was finally arrested nearly a year later in New Malden on November 22.
A spokesman for the coffee giant has since said as soon as they were made aware of the distressing discovery they contacted the police.
They said they take the responsibility of providing a safe environment very seriously and did not know who placed the camera.
At the time of its discovery it was not known how long it had been there and what it had been used for.
Dines worked as a Facilities and General Office Assistant for a firm of solicitors and was responsible for health and safety compliance and environmental management.
He was also a devout Christian and a regular speaker at Cornerstone Church, Kingston-upon-Thames.
Peter Woodcock, a senior pastor at the church, said in a letter read to the court. ‘Obviously I am devastated and appalled to hear about Antony’s behaviour, so when I became aware I immediately rang the police to report him.
‘I am not belittling what Antony has done but I would say that it is completely out of character, Antony has always shown great care for others.’
Bespectacled Dines had admitted four counts of voyeurism at Camberwell Magistrates’ Court last month.
He appeared in the dock wearing an open collar shirt and V-neck sweater as Chief Magistrate, Edward Gold told him: ‘We have considered your case with care and listened to both the probation officer and to your representative.
‘We have come to the conclusion that this case does fall into the second category and in light of that we will be making a community order.’
Dines was sentenced to a 12 month community order, and ordered to perform 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also fined £170 and ordered to sign on the sex offenders register for five years
Prosecutor George Crivelli said a male customer was using the loo on 22 November last year when he ‘looked up at the ceiling and noticed a light shining.
‘Upon closer inspection it became clear that he could see a camera, he stood on the toilet seat and touched the device.’
Police took the camera away for forensic analysis but could not find Dines’ DNA.
Mr Crivelli said: ‘But a download was done of the contents and on one of the pieces of footage it is clear that the defendant can be seen.’
Dines was seen using a screwdriver when he filmed himself installing it and wiped the toilet seat clean of his foot prints.
The prosecutor said up to 24 videos of people using the toilet were found on the camera, which was voice-operated to only film when someone was in the room.
An image of Dines was circulated and as a result ‘members off staff at the company he worked’ recognised him and informed the police.
Mr Crivelli said when police attended his place of work Dines ‘appeared to distance’ himself from a rucksack under his desk.
‘Inside the bag were small cameras, memory cards, a screwdriver and nine pairs of women’s underwear,’ he added.
Police searched his home in Kingston-upon-Thames and found the scarf he was wearing he inadvertently filmed himself installing the camera and also seized memory cards.
Dines was interviewed twice at Brixton Police Station where he opened up about his fetish for women using the toilet.
The prosecutor said: ‘He freely admitted that he had placed the camera in February 2016.
‘He stated that had a fetish for watching women urinate.’
Dines also placed a camera at his own workplace ‘in order to receive sexual gratification.’
‘He placed a camera on the third floor ladies’ toilet,’ added the prosecutor.
Asked about the underwear found in his rucksack he said the knickers belonged to his ‘ex-girlfriend’ and he had ‘kept hold of them.’
Graeme Rothwell, defending, had said it was only through ‘shame’ and ‘sheer embarrassment’ that Dines entered guilty pleas.
He had been banned from entering any public house with a toilet and from possessing recording equipment as a condition of bail.
Dines, of Shortlands Road, Kingston upon Thames, had admitted four charges of voyeurism under Section 47 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Two charges relate to the installation of the equipment and recording at Starbucks while the other two relate to the installation and recording in a ladies’ toilet at an address in Burlington Road, New Malden ‘on or before 22 November 2016.’
ends
