A former serviceman who secretly filmed a woman while she was naked has been handed a suspended prison sentence at Cardiff Crown Court.
Stephen Murphy, 47, from Blackwood, admitted to voyeurism after using a hidden camera to record his victim in 2023. The court heard that Murphy, who served in Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan, has previous convictions for sexual offences including indecent exposure and stalking.
The victim shared her devastating experience with the court: “He has not only ruined my life but also the trust I have in people. I lie in bed awake most nights worrying about what he has done with the films of myself. If I do sleep, I have nightmares. At any point, I could be all over the internet.”
Defence barrister Jeffrey Jones told the court that Murphy suffers from PTSD due to his military service, noting “There is a mental disorder here which is linked to his offending.” He added that his client was “deeply remorseful.”
Judge Shomon Khan described the case as “deeply, deeply troubling” before suspending Murphy’s 10-month prison sentence for two years. Murphy must complete 180 hours of unpaid work, attend 26 sessions of an accredited programme, and complete a 20-day rehabilitation requirement.
He will remain on the sex offenders register for 10 years and must pay £1,630 in prosecution costs.
