Rogue South Yorkshire Police officer was 'bad egg' who worked alone to film naked sunbathers and swingers' patio romp, court told
Prior to the beginning of the trial, former police officer Adrian Pogmore, 51, admitted to four counts of misconduct in a public office in relation to the four incidents of sordid filming the trial is concerned with, which took place between 2007 and 2012.
Richard Wright QC, prosecuting, said the Crown allege that serving police officers Lee Walls and Matthew Lucas and former police pilots Malcolm Reeves and Matthew Loosemore 'all must have been aware of what the focus of the camera was and that all were parties to these offences'.
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Hide AdLucas is accused of participating in the making of three of the videos, which include footage of two separate couples sunbathing naked and of an 11-minute romp between a couple of swingers who had sex in a variety of different positions on the patio in the back garden of their Rotherham property.
Defending Lucas, Adrian Greaney QC, told the court that while Lucas admits he 'saw a small part of the activity' between the Rotherham swingers that his response, as an experienced police officer with 'integrity,' was to look away.
Lucas says he had no knowledge that Pogmore, of Guilthwaite Crescent, Whiston, Rotherham was recording the couple, and did not know that Pogmore had directed it to the location with the specific intention of filming the couple.
The court was told that the couple were friends of Pogmore's who, like him, enjoyed swinging and were not only aware that they were being filmed using the force helicopter, but relished the opportunity to put on a show for him.
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Hide AdPogmore had sex with the woman in the video, and even gave the couple a copy of the footage following the incident on July 28, 2008, the court was told.
Mr Greaney told jurors that making the video without his colleagues' knowledge may even have been part of the thrill for Pogmore, who he described as a 'risk-taker'.
He said: "Who was it that had the interest in nudity and swinging?
"Who was it that kept the recordings that were made?"
Lucas also claims to have no knowledge of the other two videos made whilst he was in the helicopter on July 28, 2008 and July 22, 2012.
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Hide AdLoosemore, 45, piloted the South Yorkshire Police aircraft when the couple were filmed having sex in their garden, Sheffield Crown Court heard.
In his closing speech on Loosemore's behalf, Neil Fitzgibbon said his knowledge of the 11-minute video amounted to a 'quick glimpse through a small screen'.
He said: "Captain Loosemore says he saw something, and simply flew away."
Mr Fitzgibbon added there was no evidence to prove Loosemore, who he described as a 'civilian', knew the recording was bring made, or that he 'encouraged' Pogmore to make it.
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Hide AdHe continued by suggesting that if Loosemore had truly been 'in on it' as The Crown allege, that he would have positioned the aircraft further away from the couple and simply allowed the powerful camera 'to do the work'.
"The circumstances that threw two pilots of exemplary character and careers into this case is very bad luck by a bad egg," added Mr Fitzgibbon.
Walls is accused of participating in the first recording on August 23, 2007, when a woman was recorded sunbathing naked in her backgarden along with her three young daughters, then aged 18, 15 and eight who were all wearing bikinis.
He too denies having any knowledge of the making of the video, or of the sunbathers who were captured on it.
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Hide AdDefending Walls, Jason Pitter QC, said in his closing speech that Pogmore was a rogue police officer and that it 'made no sense' for Walls to have agreed to participate in the making of the video.
He said: "We say, as others will say, he wouldn't have thrown those years of public service away for someone he barely knew, barely worked with at the time of count one."
Reeves' defence case is due to be concluded tomorrow, before the jury is sent out to reach a verdict.
Pogmore, of Guilthwaite Crescent, Whiston, Rotherham, has admitted four counts of the same charge.
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Hide AdMatthew Lucas, 43, of Coppice Rise, Chapeltown, Sheffield, denies three counts.
Malcolm Reeves, 64, of Farfield Avenue, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, denies two counts.
Walls, 47, of Southlands Way, Aston, Sheffield, denies one count.
Loosemore, 45, of Briar Close, Auckley, Doncaster, denies one count.
The trial continues.