Naked woman’s shower shocker

It was the moment she saw the hand poking through the bathroom window holding a cellphone that the naked woman realised she was being filmed.

As she went to step into the shower, she noticed the phone pointed directly at her and quickly covered herself with the shower curtain.

In the New Plymouth District Court yesterday, Michael John Anderson, 51, admitted he was the person holding the phone and pleaded guilty to one charge of making an intimate visual recording.

The summary of facts showed Anderson had been at a New Plymouth house with his wife, the victim and the victim’s partner on July 25.

The victim decided to have a shower around 10pm and Anderson took the chance to try and stand on a rubbish bin to peer into the bathroom window, but when he couldn’t reach it, he used a ladder beside the house.

‘‘He climbed up the ladder and with his cell phone in his hand, positioned it inside the open window and directed it at the naked victim,’’ the summary said.

It was then the woman noticed the phone.

A short time later, she peered around the curtain and could see a hand holding open the window curtain so she tried to pull it shut.

‘‘Horrified by the situation the victim quickly covered herself with a towel and ran out of the bathroom to inform her partner,’’ the summary said.

‘‘Her partner looked out the kitchen window and saw the defendant on a ladder underneath the bathroom window.’’

Anderson admitted to police he had climbed up the ladder and put the phone through the window, but initially denied taking any photos or videos.

The summary said ‘‘he further stated he had a brain fade moment’’.

Defence lawyer Turitea Bolstad said Anderson had no previous convictions, and handed Judge Chris Sygrove a number of character references that supported him.

She said he was also in full-time employment and was undergoing counselling.

A probation officer told the court she had looked at whether a sentence of supervision was suitable but as he was already receiving counselling there wasn’t much more it would offer.

Judge Chris Sygrove told Anderson he hoped he had learned something and gave him credit for it being his first offence.

‘‘I’m not going to throw the book at you,’’ he said, and sentenced him to 60 hours of community work.