Teenager filmed woman in McDonald’s cubicle

A teenager was caught filming a woman on his phone under a toilet cubicle in McDonald’s, a court heard.

Francis Quaid, 19, sneaked into the female toilets at 5.30am and hid until his victim arrived at the restaurant in Oxford Street, Westminster Magistrates heard.

He then began to film a woman for at least 30 seconds after she entered the next door lavatory.

The woman shouted for help after seeing his phone camera positioned underneath the partition and Quaid subsequent fled from the alerted security guards.

When he was arrested police found an upskirt picture he had taken of a woman on a escalator.

Prosecutor Charles Shelton said: ‘On 8 December, he was in McDonald’s at around 5:30 in the morning.

‘He went into the female toilets, into a cubicle, and there was a video later recovered on his phone.

‘It showed the lower part of his face, before moving down to show his trousers.

‘He kept lowering his cameras to show the next door cubicle and film the complainant during a private act.

‘She became aware of the intrusion and complained to security staff.’

‘He tried to get away to the nearby underground station but was detained by the security staff and later arrested by the Transport Police.’

‘He told police on his arrest that he had a few lines of cocaine and was drugged up.

‘He admitted in his own words that ‘he f****d up.”

Bridgette York, defending, said: ‘He is only 19 years old.

‘He did not seek to give any excuses for what he has done. He has taken full responsibility for his actions.

‘This behaviour has been caught early and there is the potential for him with counselling to stop this behaviour.

‘He accepts the material was on his phone. He accepts that he had a conversation with the person involved and regrets the distress I would have caused her.

‘He realises this was not acceptable, is now sober and wants to provide compensation.’

The court heard how the 19-year-old has since sought out professional help for his drink and drug taking.

‘He supports himself and lives on his own with his family back in Thailand,’ Ms York said.

‘He feels he has let his family down.’

Judge Snow rejected the defence suggestion that Quaid did not try to run off, but rather walked away from McDonald’s with the impression that they did not want to take it further, after the staff kicked him outside.

He sentenced Quaid to 200 hours community service and ordered the teenager to pay £250 in compensation, £85 in surcharge and £85 in witness fees.

‘The woman was entitled to believe that want went on in that toilet would be private,’ the judge said.

‘You eventually came out of the toilet. She managed to get hold of the phone after noticing her body on the screen, recorded on your phone.’

‘You regained possession of the phone, were carried upstairs and you left the premises.’

Judge Snow also issued a sexual harm prevention order that Quaid only enter public toilets designated for men, excluding unisex facilities for five years.

This order also bans Quaid is from carrying a portable device capable of taking and storing photos unless he notifies police of the serial number within 24 hours of purchase.

Judge Snow said: ‘I am satisfied that it is necessary to make a sexual harm prevention order to protect the public from sexual harm from you.

‘There was an image found on your phone of a woman, shot up her skirt on an escalator.

‘I’m not going to sentence you on it but I am going to take it into account for a sexual harm prevention order for five years.’

Quaid, of Salisbury Walk, Islington, admitted voyeurism.
ends.