A serving Gloucestershire police officer tried to film a naked female colleague as she showered at the Force’s headquarters in Quedgeley, a jury was told today, Monday.

At Newport Crown Court, PC Jonathan Eaton, 32, of Brockworth, Gloucester, denied a voyeurism charge: attempting to observe and attempting to record for sexual gratification a person involved in a private act without consent on February 27, 2019.

Prosecutor Matthew Roberts said the incident occurred at the unisex changing rooms of Gloucestershire Constabulary’s headquarters at Waterwells, Quedgeley, Gloucester.

“The woman was using the shower as part of her daily routine at 7.15am and was using a different cubical to normal,” he said.

“As she was drying off, she noticed a distinctive phone being held underneath the partition. She could not see who was handing the phone but clearly recalls the phone cover.

“Almost immediately a man tried to leave the shower complex and the woman shouted ‘Stop that man’, to which two other police officers responded.

“The woman recognised the phone cover the man was carrying as being the same as the one she saw in the cubicle.

“The woman noticed that the man’s head was completely dry as he walked away after being challenged.

Mr Roberts told the court that Eaton was arrested later that morning and that he said in his interview that his balding hair was out of place and he needed to use the high pressure shower to wash it so that it would stick down.

“He says that he was fully clothed and put his phone on the floor and knelt down to put the shower on and wet his head. He alleges that he then picked up his phone and walked out when a woman shouted ’ok ’ at him and challenged him by asking if he had videoed her.”

The jury of seven men and five women was then told that Mr Eaton had phoned in sick to work and had gone home.

Mr Roberts added: “When police arrested Eaton later that morning they discovered that his phone had been factory reset at 9.36am, wiping any evidence from it.

“A subsequent investigation revealed that Mr Eaton had left Waterwells at 8.03am and he was back home by 8.49am and within 40 minutes the phone had been reset.

“The prosecution say this: Mr Eaton’s account in interview is nothing less than incredible."

Eaton, who was training to become a detective constable in CID, was suspended from duty when he was arrested.

He denies the charge and the trial is expected to continue for several days, when his defence will be made.