Glasgow Airport cleaner, who peered at woman in toilet cubicle, faces jail term
A cleaner, at Glasgow Airport, has been suspended from his job for locking himself in the women's toilets at the airport where he worked - and peering under the wall to watch a woman in the cubicle next to him.
A cleaner, at Glasgow Airport, has been suspended from his job for locking himself in the women's toilets at the airport where he worked - and peering under the wall to watch a woman in the cubicle next to him.
Edward Gibbons, 37, ogled the woman while she answered the call of nature at the Renfrewshire airport in August this year.
He has now been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register and could be jailed for as long as 12 months for his antics.
The horrified woman, who can't be named for legal reasons, pulled down her underwear and sat on the toilet - only to spot Gibbons' face peeking through under the wall from the cubicle next to her.
She went to summon security, Gibbons was stopped later and she was able to identify him.
The police were informed about what had happened and Gibbons was prosecuted for the act of voyeurism at Paisley Sheriff Court.
He pleaded guilty to targeting the woman, who can't be named for legal reasons, while she was "doing a private act" - in breach of Sections 9(1) and 9(2) of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009.
He admitted he locked himself "within a toilet cubicle within the ladies toilets and did look under the dividing wall when she was in a state of undress using the toilet" in the Ladies Toilets in the Main Concourse of the airport on August 5 this year.
The Act states someone is guilty of an offence if they do something without another person consenting or "without any reasonable belief that" they consent. And it states they are guilty if they observe that person "doing a private act" - resulting in them "obtaining sexual gratification" or it "humiliating, distressing or alarming" the person they are watching.
Gibbons, of Glasgow, admitted his guilt via letter last month and sentence was deferred until last week for him to be personally present so he could be sentenced.
His plea had to be withdrawn for technical reasons and the case was adjourned for his representatives and Crown Office prosecutors to agree the facts of the case. And when Gibbons returned to the dock this week he pleaded guilty to the charge in person and was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register.
An agreed narration of the facts of the case was handed to Sheriff James Spy but was not read out in court.
Sheriff Spy called for Gibbons to be assessed by social workers ahead of sentencing and adjourned the case until next month for that to be done.
A spokesman for the team Glasgow Airport refused to comment on Gibbons' suspension or the court case.