Les Mills gym-goer raced out of the shower, chased down the pervert and smashed the iPhone after he caught him filming.

Life Time Fitness

A Les Mills gym-goer raced out of the shower, chased down another man and smashed his iPhone after he caught him filming over the partition.

Police later raided the home of the film-maker, a 25-year-old Wellington man, after the gym incident on September 3, and found a separate recording of another man urinating in a private toilet cubicle.

Yesterday in the Wellington District Court the man was convicted of two charges of making and possessing intimate recordings, but no other penalty was imposed.

His lawyer, Mike Antunovic, initially applied for his client, who had previously pleaded guilty, to be discharged without conviction.

Mr Antunovic said because the man was in New Zealand on a temporary visa, his immigration and employment prospects would be seriously impacted if he was convicted. “He is trying to make the most of his young life.”

The man was visibly upset in court, crying during proceedings.

Judge Susan Thomas denied the application, saying the offending was serious and had significantly affected the victim.

“It is a considerable violation of someone’s right to privacy.”

She noted the man sought counselling in October, before being charged, and suffered sexual abuse as a teenager.

Judge Thomas granted the man, who had no previous convictions, permanent name suppression to protect the identity of his partner.

The case follows that of a Jehovah’s Witness, who was convicted last month of filming up the skirts of at least 1000 women and girls in central Wellington and when visiting private homes. The man’s recordings were made using a handmade device attached to his briefcase.

Speaking to The Dominion Post after yesterday’s sentencing, Les Mills Extreme manager Peter Fraser said the incident was the first involving a cellphone recording at his gym, but “unfortunate” incidents such as this did happen in gyms and sports clubs. The Taranaki St gym had banned the member and considered prohibiting cellphone use in the club.A Les Mills gym-goer raced out of the shower, chased down another man and smashed his iPhone after he caught him filming over the partition.

Police later raided the home of the film-maker, a 25-year-old Wellington man, after the gym incident on September 3, and found a separate recording of another man urinating in a private toilet cubicle.

Yesterday in the Wellington District Court the man was convicted of two charges of making and possessing intimate recordings, but no other penalty was imposed.

His lawyer, Mike Antunovic, initially applied for his client, who had previously pleaded guilty, to be discharged without conviction.

Mr Antunovic said because the man was in New Zealand on a temporary visa, his immigration and employment prospects would be seriously impacted if he was convicted. “He is trying to make the most of his young life.”

The man was visibly upset in court, crying during proceedings.

Judge Susan Thomas denied the application, saying the offending was serious and had significantly affected the victim.

“It is a considerable violation of someone’s right to privacy.”

She noted the man sought counselling in October, before being charged, and suffered sexual abuse as a teenager.

Judge Thomas granted the man, who had no previous convictions, permanent name suppression to protect the identity of his partner.

The case follows that of a Jehovah’s Witness, who was convicted last month of filming up the skirts of at least 1000 women and girls in central Wellington and when visiting private homes. The man’s recordings were made using a handmade device attached to his briefcase.

Speaking to The Dominion Post after yesterday’s sentencing, Les Mills Extreme manager Peter Fraser said the incident was the first involving a cellphone recording at his gym, but “unfortunate” incidents such as this did happen in gyms and sports clubs. The Taranaki St gym had banned the member and considered prohibiting cellphone use in the club.A Les Mills gym-goer raced out of the shower, chased down another man and smashed his iPhone after he caught him filming over the partition.

Police later raided the home of the film-maker, a 25-year-old Wellington man, after the gym incident on September 3, and found a separate recording of another man urinating in a private toilet cubicle.

Yesterday in the Wellington District Court the man was convicted of two charges of making and possessing intimate recordings, but no other penalty was imposed.

His lawyer, Mike Antunovic, initially applied for his client, who had previously pleaded guilty, to be discharged without conviction.

Mr Antunovic said because the man was in New Zealand on a temporary visa, his immigration and employment prospects would be seriously impacted if he was convicted. “He is trying to make the most of his young life.”

The man was visibly upset in court, crying during proceedings.

Judge Susan Thomas denied the application, saying the offending was serious and had significantly affected the victim.

“It is a considerable violation of someone’s right to privacy.”

She noted the man sought counselling in October, before being charged, and suffered sexual abuse as a teenager.

Judge Thomas granted the man, who had no previous convictions, permanent name suppression to protect the identity of his partner.

The case follows that of a Jehovah’s Witness, who was convicted last month of filming up the skirts of at least 1000 women and girls in central Wellington and when visiting private homes. The man’s recordings were made using a handmade device attached to his briefcase.

Speaking to The Dominion Post after yesterday’s sentencing, Les Mills Extreme manager Peter Fraser said the incident was the first involving a cellphone recording at his gym, but “unfortunate” incidents such as this did happen in gyms and sports clubs. The Taranaki St gym had banned the member and considered prohibiting cellphone use in the club.