Man in court for removing camera spying on his bedroom
This story from the Cumbria News and Star is so remarkable, it merits full exposure on Big Brother Watch this morning.
Christian Lord was living with his girlfriend in Harraby, Carlisle, when he became aware of a CCTV camera installed in the empty house opposite, trained on his bedroom. Fed up of the surveillance, which was also exacerbating his girlfriend's mental health problems, Mr Lord broke into the empty house and threw the camera in a nearby river.
Yesterday, the 35-year-old pleaded guilty at Carlisle Crown Court to a charge of burglary and the theft of the £1,500-worth of surveillance equipment. He was put under 12 months’ probation supervision and ordered to undergo drugs rehabilitation.
Now a selection of quotes from Judge Peter Hughes QC, who said he was "puzzled" by who installed the camera.
“Under what authority was it done?” he asked. “There are human rights considerations here.”
Judge Hughes told Lord that if the device had been installed by the police as part of a criminal investigation the offence would have been much more serious. “But that is not the situation I have to deal with,” he said. “It is unclear why and on what basis this camera was installed.
“But plainly you and your partner were aware of its presence watching your activities and you took exception to it. While in no way can I condone your actions, this is far removed from a typical case of burglary. It seems you did it just to stop yourself being snooped upon.”
Given those comments from the judge, the sentence Mr Lord received seems ridiculously harsh.
Or is it symptomatic of the complete devaluation of privacy in society? The real crime here is the camera removing Mr Lord's right to a private life.
And when you look at it like that, the judge most definitely had the wrong man in court.
By Dylan Sharpe
Yesterday, the 35-year-old pleaded guilty at Carlisle Crown Court to a charge of burglary and the theft of the £1,500-worth of surveillance equipment. He was put under 12 months’ probation supervision and ordered to undergo drugs rehabilitation.
Now a selection of quotes from Judge Peter Hughes QC, who said he was "puzzled" by who installed the camera.
“Under what authority was it done?” he asked. “There are human rights considerations here.”
Judge Hughes told Lord that if the device had been installed by the police as part of a criminal investigation the offence would have been much more serious. “But that is not the situation I have to deal with,” he said. “It is unclear why and on what basis this camera was installed.
“But plainly you and your partner were aware of its presence watching your activities and you took exception to it. While in no way can I condone your actions, this is far removed from a typical case of burglary. It seems you did it just to stop yourself being snooped upon.”
Given those comments from the judge, the sentence Mr Lord received seems ridiculously harsh.
Or is it symptomatic of the complete devaluation of privacy in society? The real crime here is the camera removing Mr Lord's right to a private life.
And when you look at it like that, the judge most definitely had the wrong man in court.
By Dylan Sharpe
