Teacher attempted to take pictures of colleague on mobile phone while she was using women's toilets

A teacher attempted to take pictures of a colleague on his mobile phone while she was using the women’s staff room toilets, a court has heard.

Stephen Hazle, 43, of Basil Mews, Newhall, in Harlow, Essex, appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court today accused of six counts of voyeurism and one count of attempted voyeurism - all of which he denies.

Prosecutor Christopher Kerr said the victim saw a phone appear from underneath the neighbouring cubicle.

Reading her statement, he told the court: “I gasped as I saw the mobile and it was slowly withdrawn back under the cubicle.

“It was deliberately being held even though I never saw anyone’s hand.”

Mr Kerr said the victim waited to see if anyone would leave the cubicle. When no one did she alerted the headteacher, who ordered Hazle out.

The prosecutor said Hazle, who was “sitting on the toilet with the seat down,” had said he was “desperate” for the toilet and had found the men’s ones were occupied.

Hazle, whose phone was confiscated after the alleged incident, was arrested at his home on suspicion of voyeurism and suspended by the school.

The court heard police found six images of “people’s legs” on his phone, allegedly taken under the partition walls of toilet cubicles.

Hazle told officers during an interview that he had suffered a panic attack.

“He said he suffers from panic attacks and a side-effect is the loss of control of his bowels, lightheadedness and nausea,” said Mr Kerr.

“He said he was getting stressed about preparing for [an] assessment lesson and needed the toilet.”

Hazle said he passed out four or five times in the cubicle and may have placed his phone on the floor.

The trial continues.

This article has been amended