Pilot who hid camera in woman's home jailed
- Published
A pilot who hid a camera in a woman's bedroom on the Isle of Man has been jailed.
Martyn Bourner, 36, installed a camera concealed in a dog bed in the victim's home on 17 May 2023 and it remained in place until it was found on 9 December.
Over that time Bourner, of Mona Street, Douglas, went in while the victim was at work to collect his recordings and also performed sex acts in the room, the court heard.
Sentencing him for 20 months, Deemster Graeme Cook said it was "bizarre behaviour" and it had "had a devastating impact" on the victim's life.
'Feel unsafe'
The camera was found when the victim noticed a blue light in her dog's bed, with wires and a battery pack concealed under the cushion.
She took the device to police a few days later after noticing that there were 10 videos stored on it.
After further investigation, officers discovered 1,277 files linked to the device which were mostly videos, with 39 recordings of her undressing, the court heard.
Douglas Courthouse was told that Bourner had been identified because he could be seen on some of the recordings while he repositioned the camera and went through the victim's items.
He was arrested on 29 April and was charged with "burglary having entered as a trespasser with the intent to install a surveillance device and installed said device".
The court heard Bourner had lost his job as a result of the offending.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said she had been having panic attacks since discovering the camera, and was "scared to go outside" but at the same time did "not feel safe" in her own home.
Bourner previously pleaded guilty to the offence.
He was given a restraining order until further notice, and is subject to a sexual risk order for five years.
Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook, external and X, external? You can also send story ideas to IsleofMan@bbc.co.uk