Phone peeper in court
A middle-aged man spent hours on Wellington’s Lambton Quay attempting to photograph up the skirts of women before being caught in Farmers department store taking a snap of a female customer.
Alessandro Doria, 46, of Wilton, was caught after security staff in the store watched him lean down next to a woman and use his cellphone to see up her skirt.
Police were called and, on checking his cellphone, found eight other pictures where he had attempted to do the same thing on the street between 2.56pm and 5.30pm on May 30.
None of the women he tried to take pictures of have been identified.
He admitted to the police he did not know any of the women.
Doria yesterday pleaded guilty to one charge of intentionally making an intimate visual recording. He was only charged in relation to the Farmers customer, not the unsuccessful Lambton Quay photo attempts.
Police prosecutor Mark Wilton told Wellington District Court judge Geoff Ellis that Doria had no previous convictions.
The judge remanded Doria at large for sentencing in August for him to make an application to be discharged without conviction.
Doria told Fairfax Media yesterday the incident had been a mistake and he was ‘‘extremely sorry’’ for what he had done.
‘‘I feel awful . . . it was just a stupid moment. I just feel so bad. I’m extremely sorry. I’ve never done anything like this before,’’ Doria said.
Farmers national security manager Nathan Breed said the franchise worked to ensure its stores were safe environments for customers and staff.
Security staff and technology to constantly monitor CCTV cameras was installed in all outlets.
Security teams looked for suspicious activity which was normally shoplifting.