A MAN who filmed a semi-naked woman using covert cameras he installed to catch his wife cheating on him has been spared jail.

Trevor Hebron wanted to "confirm suspicions" he had regarding his deteriorating marriage.

However, instead of filming his wife going behind his back as he suspected, he captured footage of another woman who was staying at his home in Bournemouth.

The videos showed the victim while she slept and in some of the recordings she was topless or in her underwear.

Hebron, 42, kept the videos on a family laptop and they were discovered by his wife who contacted the police.

When he was confronted by his wife he admitted he had kept the films as he "enjoyed the thrill of not being caught".

He pleaded guilty to a charge of voyeurism at Poole Magistrates' Court.

The court heard that the charge related to "multiple videos" filmed between January 2017 and May 2018.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was "completely unaware" of the hidden cameras and told police she felt "shocked and violated" by the footage.

Nicola Reece, prosecuting, said: "His wife was browsing through their family laptop when she opened the downloaded videos folder.

"She found the videos which were of a female sleeping in the playroom and some in the spare room.

"In some videos she was topless or in her underwear.

"She (his wife) confronted him and he admitted he had taken them and told her he enjoyed the thrill of not being caught.

"She then reported him to the police."

Since the videos were uncovered Hebron and his wife have began official divorce proceedings.

Ben Schofield, mitigating, told magistrates that the couple had been going through difficulties and that he had not meant to film the complainant.

He said: "There were difficulties in the relationship and these cameras were fitted to try and prove some of the suspicions he had about those difficulties.

"He is a man of previously good character and there have been clear admissions of guilt throughout.

"Unusually, we have a character reference from the very person who called the police and there are also references from family and work colleagues.

"He has been open and frank with those around him and those people have still stood by him and have been willing to lend their support to him."

After hearing all the evidence, magistrates ordered Hebron to complete 30 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also instructed to pay £750 in compensation to his victim, as well as £85 costs and a victim surcharge of £85.

Hebron was also placed on the sex offenders register for five years and handed a 12 month restraining order preventing contact with the victim.

In sentencing Hebron magistrate Martin Adlem said: "We do feel these offences are serious enough for us to make a community order.

"It is a serious offence that has caused serious distress."

At a previous hearing the court was told that rooms at Hebron's home had previously been rented out to students.

Members of AFC Bournemouth's youth teams have also previously been hosted in rooms at the property.

There is no indication any offence was committed against anyone but the adult woman, it was heard.