A FORMER call centre worker hid himself in toilets in a public park to spy on women for his own sexual gratification.

Martin Andrew Oliver had pleaded not guilty to attempted voyeurism at Swansea's Victoria Park, but was convicted by a jury.

The court then heard Oliver had a history of preying on women in public toilets, including raping and robbing one victim in the toilets of a bus station.

Sentencing was adjourned in the case after Judge Peter Heywood asked for a report into Oliver's past and the dangers he poses to women.

The court heard Oliver, of Maliphant Street, Hafod, Swansea, had been "loitering" in a cubicle of the ladies toilets at the park on March 21 this year, smoking a cigarette and masturbating.

Prosecuting, Patrick Griffiths, said: "You were whiling away time between viewing ladies using the toilet."

The court heard there were a number of holes in the partition wall between the cubicle Oliver was in, and the neighbouring one.

His activities only came to light when Katherine Davies popped in to the toilet block while out walking her dog.

Miss Davies said she felt uneasy about the closed cubicle and didn't go to the loo, instead finishing her walk and returning home to discuss her concerns with her partner, Mark Fall.

The couple decided to return to Victoria Park to see what was happening, and watched the toilets for around 20 minutes, confronting Oliver when he emerged.

It has been Oliver's case that he had merely stopped at the toilets on his way back home from walking to Mumbles because he "urgently" needed to use the facilities due to a medical condition.

On finding the men's toilet occupied, he had used the ladies but only for around five minutes.

He had denied he was there for any ulterior motive.

But the jury of seven women and five men took just over an hour to return a guilty verdict.

They were then told about some of the 47-year-old's past offences dating back to 1985, which include climbing into the roof space of a women's toilet at a motorway service station, looking under the door of women's toilet cubicles, and raping a women in the loos at a bus station in Walsall in the West Midlands before robbing her.

The court heard he had also been found in possession of a "large quantity" of pornography involving photographs of "bodily functions" such as defecation.

Judge Heywood said the charge of attempted voyeurism carried a maximum two years tariff, but that he was adjourning sentencing while reports were prepared.

Options could include an extended sentence, or a sentence of indeterminate length for public protection

He told Oliver: "I have to consider very carefully whether you pose a significant risk of physical or emotional harm to women. For this reason I am not going to rush sentencing."

Judge Heywood then took the unusual step of praising witnesses Miss Davies and Mr Fall.

"They could have walked away and done nothing," he said.

"They are to be commended for their public spirit."

jason.evans@swwmedia.co.uk