Yahoo Finance Film director secretly filmed women undressing and showering with bathroom spycam
Mark Murphy was sentenced at Southwark crown court for voyeurism
(Metropolitan Police Service)A movie producer made hundreds of covert films of women undressing, showering, and using the toilet with a hidden camera planted in the bathroom of his luxury home, a court heard.
Mark Murphy, who lives in an exclusive Kensington street, secretly videoed 24 women over the course of eight years until he was caught in 2019.
He has written, directed and produced a string of movies during a 20-year media career, working with James Buckley and Paul Kaye on 2016 film The Comedian’s Guide to Survival and with Diana Vickers on 2015 thriller Awaiting.
Murphy’s partner in his Solar Productions company is the former EastEnders, True Blood, and Dream Team star Robert Kazinsky.
At Southwark crown court on Tuesday, Murphy was handed a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for a string of voyeurism charges, and he was ordered to make £5,000 payments compensation to each of his victims.
Jollyon Robertson, prosecuting, said the Murphy’s video collection “revealed ladies in various stages of undress, showering and using the toilet”.
“These images were caught on a hidden camera. On one video, Mr Murphy is engaging in sexual activity while in the bath with one of the complainants, looking directly at the camera and sticking his tongue out.
“It’s clear he was purposely filming and collecting images of women for his own gratification with his camera.”
The court heard 24 victims have been identified by police from 278 videos, with one dating back to October 2011 and seven different women caught on camera on the same day in 2016 when Murphy threw a house party.
“They were completely shocked, disgusted, they felt violated”, said Mr Robertson, adding that the women now fear their images will be shared online.
“They felt violated, angry, and upset, but also betrayed. Some felt physically sick watching the videos.”
Matthew Radstone, for Murphy, told the court the media professional had previously sought treatment in the past for depression and addictions to alcohol.
“He was relieved that he was stopped, that there was an intervention and a knock on the door”, he said.
“He is willing to compensate any of the victims in this case in any reasonable way the court deems appropriate, to the tune of several thousands of pounds per victim.
“He is willing to offer the opportunity to pay for and fund unlimited sessions of therapy and intervention if they fell that’s required.”
Mr Radstone told the court Murphy “works in film production, with actors and actresses”, and his company would have collapsed if he was sent to prison.
The court heard Murphy has already paid thousands of pounds in compensation to two victims following civil proceedings. The judge ordered him to pay £5,000 in compensation to other women who have been identified.
PC Bobby Kemp, of the Met’s Central Specialist Crime, said: “After we discovered what Murphy had been doing we were determined to find as many of the victims as possible. We wanted those who Murphy exploited to get both support and justice.
"Finding victims was not always easy, especially as some of the offences went back eight years, but we did everything we could to find all those whose trust Murphy had betrayed. I am glad that we have been able to find so many of the women Murphy exploited.
"If you think you may also be one of those directly affected by this case I would urge you to contact us; we can both advise you and offer you the support you may need.”
Murphy pleaded guilty to 17 counts of voyeurism.
Read More
London cases tumble as rate falls below key threshold in 29 boroughs
From Kensington to Peckham — where you can buy with deposits from £5k
