'Peeping Tom' a victim, say lawyers

Pat Norris installed a bedroom camera. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Former Kawerau mayoral candidate Pat Norris, described as a "peeping Tom" and portrayed as a lecherous landlord whose court case featured on news websites around the world, was the victim of a distortion of the truth, his lawyers say.

His distorted and misinterpreted story, began when the 53-year-old one-time eastern Bay of Plenty businessman suspected his wife of having an affair, and took steps to confirm his suspicions, the lawyers said.

Norris this week entered guilty pleas to four charges of publishing an intimate visual recording and making an intimate recording in the Whakatane District Court.

His lawyer, Phillip Morgan QC, said when Norris first installed cameras in his wife's home in 2008, he didn't think he was doing anything wrong.

He suspected she was having an affair and ended up recording something he didn't want to see, Mr Morgan said.

His life had since "spiralled out of control", his business was going under, his marriage was over and he was embroiled in custody issues, Mr Morgan said.

The intense media interest in the case and distortion of the truth couldn't have been more damaging.

"It has been interpreted as a case of a landlord surreptitiously recording the actions of a single mum and tenant for sexual gratification," he said.

Mr Morgan said this was not the case - Norris had installed cameras to gather evidence of his suspicions.

"There is a distinction between filming for the pleasure of observing and filming for the purposes of detecting," Mr Morgan said.

The court heard that in 2006 Norris moved from Kawerau to Nelson to set up his business, with the intention that his wife and children would join him eventually.

Norris continued to support the family and visited periodically. During one visit on May 30, 2008, under the guise of upgrading the security system, he installed three surveillance cameras, in the kitchen, lounge and master bedroom.

When he returned to Nelson he viewed the footage via the internet and saw his wife engaging in sexual activity with another man.

He immediately returned to Kawerau, removed the cameras and had some still images produced by a commercial company. He then confronted his wife with the photos. He also showed six other people who had connections to him and his wife.

Norris had thought that what he had done was lawful and had never attempted to hide what he had done, Mr Morgan said.

The consequences of his actions were "truly extraordinary" and he had already been punished enough. He asked the judge for a conviction and discharge in the circumstances.

Judge Peter Rollo said this was "a sad case" that had resulted in untoward effects for both Norris and his wife.

Norris' wife had been devastated by the invasion of her privacy and there was no justification for him to covertly film the goings-on in her bedroom, Judge Rollo said.

The judge recognised Norris would have been "stung" emotionally but his actions had been foolish and "quite wrong".

This was a small-minded approach with extraordinary consequences for him and his wife, Judge Rollo said.

"You broke the law by your actions and your wife is the unfortunate victim as a result."

The judge agreed Norris had been punished enough and he was convicted and discharged on each offence.

Judge Rollo ordered Norris pay his wife $5000 compensation - $1000 for each offence.

- NZPA