MP’s former advisor ‘filmed female colleagues using toilet’

David McConaghie, from Cottage Hill, Dollingstown, appeared at Craigavon Magistrates Court on Monday. He denies making recordings for his sexual gratification.

A woman who worked with him said she had been uneasy about him for some time leading up to September 2012.

She told the court he had begun to hang his coat in the ladies’ toilet with his camera phone poking out of the breast pocket.

She challenged him and the coat was removed.

However, she said that a short time later, he suggested buying potpourri for the toilet and provided two filled boxes.

She said she continually pushed one of the boxes into a corner, only to repeatedly find it pushed back to a position nearer the toilet.

Eventually, she looked among the potpourri and found a small camera, she said.

When she examined some of the footage from this, she saw images of herself using the bathroom and shots of Mr McConaghie in which she said he appeared to be setting up the camera.

She told David Simpson, MP, who called the police.

Mr McConaghie’s defence will be heard at the end of July.