Groundskeeper Banned from Dating After Secretly Filming Neighbor

Andrew Thomas, a 49-year-old groundskeeper from Perthshire, Scotland, was found guilty of secretly filming his 65-year-old neighbor in her bedroom by hiding a mobile phone camera inside a vase of artificial flowers. Over a period of six months, Thomas amassed more than 40 hours of intimate footage by repeatedly entering her home without consent, after befriending her during dog walks and developing an infatuation. He was caught when the victim's daughter discovered the camera and then found Thomas sneaking in the house. Sheriff Alison McKay sentenced him to five years on the Sex Offenders Register, 300 hours of unpaid community service, two years of social work supervision, and a six-month curfew at a homeless unit. Additionally, Thomas received a 12-clause conduct order restricting his phone and internet use, prohibiting contact with the victim, banning him from the area where the offence occurred, and requiring him to inform social workers before entering any new romantic relationships. The case highlights serious concerns about the violation of privacy and the misuse of trust between neighbors.