Man caught 'upskirting' women after targeting off-duty detective in Tesco

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A man who “upskirted” women in Tesco using a phone in a shopping basket was caught after targeting an off-duty police officer, a court has heard.

Donald Cooper, 67, followed the detective round the aisles of the supermarket and attempted to film up her clothes as she shopped with her daughter.

The officer arrested him after realising she was being followed and spotting the phone in his basket.

Police found further clips on two other phones that Cooper owned.

He told officers: "I admit to doing it. It's my fault, I'm a lonely man, my wife has been away so long."

Cooper, of Thornbury, south Gloucestershire, indicated guilty pleas to eight charges of outraging public decency at Bristol Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. Another 100 offences were to be taken into consideration by the court.

The offences took place between May 2016 and July 2017 and carry a maximum prison sentence of two years.

Prosecutor Lucy Coleman told magistrates: "He was caught in the act by a victim. She was a police officer and she was concerned about him following her.

"His basket was on the floor and his phone was in there with the camera facing upwards.

She added: "This is persistent, repeated behaviour over 12 months, a complete invasion of the privacy of the people he has filmed.

"It is humiliating, it is done in a public place and a child was present."

She said the case should be sent to the crown court for sentence.

Tony Miles, defending, said: "This will be a guilty plea. The question is, to what do we plead guilty?

"There are 100 TICs [offences taken into consideration] which I need to consider very carefully.

"This is a guilty plea but there is a great deal of background. I am considering a medical report, which will take time to obtain."

Cooper was released on unconditional bail ahead of a sentencing hearing at Bristol Crown Court on 27 March. He declined to comment as he left the court.

After the hearing, the detective who caught him told Bristol Live: "I detained him and called the police because I had my daughter with me.

"It was a difficult situation for me to manage. My concern was for my children."

Cooper was not charged under new legislation which came into effect this year to make upskirting a specific criminal offence.

The law, which received royal assent this month, was introduced following a campaign by Gina Martin, who was upskirted at a music festival in 2017.

SWNS