Pervert filmed women in stores with mobile phone

A complaint was first made about Marek Nowakowski on March 1 last year when a woman told a security officer at Asda in Durkar she thought he had been following her around.

The woman said he was mimicking her movements selecting the same items as she was and standing close to her but he left the store and drove away before anything could be done.

Mark McKone, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday Nowakowski, a Polish national, was seen to return to the store a few hours later and again seemed to be following a woman around the store.

On March 3 he was spotted once more at 7.20pm following female

customers and getting very close to them.

He put a wire basket on the floor next to them, picking it up when they moved away.

Two days later he returned again and after selecting a basket walked up and down the aisles without shopping and then appeared to follow a woman into the clothing section where he put the basket on the floor to the side of her.

Mr McKone said when she moved away a security officer saw Nowakowski take his mobile phone from the basket. He then went and stood next to another woman, he put the phone with its camera lens facing up into the corner of the basket and it was then the officer realised what he was doing.

When he was stopped and asked about it he said: "Yes I have been stupid".

He said he put his mobile phone in the basket and would wander around sometimes shopping and sometimes recording women under their skirts or dresses. He estimated he had about 100 images of women aged between 25-45 on his phone and accepted he had got sexual gratification from looking at them.

He told the officer he supposed he would have deleted the pictures one day because otherwise his wife or daughter might have found them.

Nowakowski, 42 of Manor Rise, Wakefield, admitted two offences of outraging public decency.

Sentence was adjourned after Judge Sally Cahill QC said she wanted to know what programmes and work was available for him.

She said: "I view this very seriously and he is somebody who needs to be stopped from future conduct of this sort. It may be custody it may not, I need to know all my options."

John Wilkinson, for Nowakowski, said a probation officer recommended a community penalty and he would clearly benefit from addressing his problems but language difficulties apparently restricted what he could be offered.

The defendant had an interpreter with him in court.