'Watching Brief' Escapes Prison

A Belfast-based solicitor who attempted voyeurism by filming a young woman changing in a leisure centre cubicle has escaped a prison sentence.

Richie MacRitchie (33) was instead handed a suspended four months imprisonment term - for two years - and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years.

However, while the lawyer is facing a professional disciplinary hearing later this week, the family of the victim claimed he should be banned from practicing.

MacRitchie, who plans to appeal the court sentence, was found guilty after a judge at Belfast Magistrates Court ruled he used his mobile phone to record the woman in a cubicle for the intention of sexual gratification.

The solicitor, from Ardmullan, Omeath, Co Louth, was convicted of the new offence after originally being cleared of voyeurism.

He had admitted filming four clips of the woman, who was then aged 18, in the booth next to him at the Falls Leisure Centre, west Belfast in October 2006.

At first a direction of no case to answer was given because his target was wearing a bikini. Because of this it was decided she was not engaged in a private act according to the Sexual Offences Act.

Later, however, the Court of Appeal ordered the prosecution to proceed on a fresh charge of attempted voyeurism.

(BMcC/JM)