Voyeur fireman who filmed woman in shower avoids jail

A firefighter filmed a woman in the shower by fastening a camera phone to a long stick and poking it through her bathroom window.Simon John Douglas Roach, 39, from Wilmslow, twice took images of his naked victim - getting away with it the first time but being caught on his second attempt.

After ‘expressing remorse’ through his solicitor at Stockport Magistrates' Court, Roach escaped jail.Magistrates decided to suspend his four-month prison sentence for two years on Thursday but ordered him to sign the sex offenders' register for seven years.

Roach had been found guilty of two counts of voyeurism following a trial at the same court earlier this month.Prosecuting, Karen Saffman said that Roach, who has since left his job as a firefighter, had used his mobile phone to make the recordings on November 29 and December 2 last year.

He was arrested after his victim saw what was happening and called the police.But defending, Shirley Fitton told the court that Roach had not shared the images so that other people could see them and his attempts at filming had not even worked.

She said: “He had to give that job (as a firefighter) up before the trial.“Part of his sentence is that he will never be able to go back. He enjoyed that job and what he gave to the community. He has a sense of loss.”Magistrates also imposed a restraining order, £500 compensation for the victim, £620 costs and told Roach to complete a sex offender treatment programme.

Chair of the bench Eileen Carr said: “This offence is serious. It took place in the victim’s home and her naked image was recorded.“There was an element of planning. This has had a large impact on her.”Roach, of Lacey Green, declined to comment after the case.A spokeswoman for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed Simon Roach worked for them as an on call firefighter for seven years and resigned in 2017.