London - A police helicopter crew including a "sex-obsessed swinger" filmed naked sunbathers and a couple having sex while on patrol, a court heard on earlier this week.
The hi-tech video camera on board zoomed in on the married couple, who were friends of PC Adrian Pogmore, a fellow swinger, as they romped on their patio.
They were happy to be filmed and "brazenly put on a show", the jury heard. But others had no idea their naked bodies were recorded for the "amusement"of the all-male South Yorkshire Police flying squad, in what prosecutor Richard Wright QC described as a "gross violation of their privacy".
They included a couple at a naturist camp sitting naked by their caravan and a mother sunbathing naked near her children in a large private garden, Sheffield Crown Court was told.
At one stage the helicopter swooped down to 1 300ft to get a better view, the court heard.
Seven people were allegedly filmed by the helicopter crew either naked or having sex in four incidents between 2007 and 2012.
The helicopter’s camera was capable of reading a number plate on a car from more than two miles away in the right conditions, the court heard.
Wright said there was no legitimate reason for the filming, adding: "This was a deliberate invasion of their privacy for at the very least the inappropriate amusement of the crew, and at worst for their sexual gratification."
Pogmore, 51, was an "air observer" during all four incidents and pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office. The incriminating videotapes were found in his police station drawer, which was emptied after he was sacked for misconduct in 2015 for an unspecified reason.
Constables Matthew Lucas, 42, and Lee Walls, 47, along with pilots Matthew Loosemore, 45, and Malcolm Reeves, 64, have all denied misconduct in public office, blaming Pogmore for all of the incidents.
The video footage was shown to the jury and pixelated to "preserve the dignity" of those caught on camera.
A naked woman walked on to her patio and appeared to wave at the camera in the sky before being joined by her partner wearing a Manchester United shirt. They proceeded to have an eight-minute sex session.
The police radio could be heard in the background. Incidents discussed included a 6ft length of piping being found on the M1 and an assault with an iron. The helicopter was supposed to have been responding to a motorbike theft but never got there.
Pogmore was a friend of the couple who shared their "sexual interest in the swinging scene", the jury heard.
Wright said: "It was clearly therefore no coincidence that the helicopter orbits around their garden while they brazenly put on a show. They may have welcomed the thrill of being observed in this way, but the incident encapsulates the wider harm to the public trust and confidence in the police occasioned by this offending."
The expensive force helicopter was a valuable tool in chasing criminals and "keeping the community safe", Wright said.
But in reality it was being used "to film a pair of swingers in the throes of sexual passion for the entertainment of the crew".
The woman recorded sunbathing naked in her back garden, screened by trees, said in a statement: "I feel this incident is a complete and utter violation of my privacy and it makes me feel sick to know it took place."
Wright said the helicopter team worked closely together at all times and it was "not credible" to suggest only Pogmore was aware of what was going on.
In his police interview Lucas, like his fellow defendants, blamed Pogmore. He was the other police observer when the couple were filmed having sex and said he heard Pogmore exclaim: "Look at this."
He claimed he briefly looked at a naked woman and man in a Manchester United top on the screen before focusing on his job. He said he never saw them have sex.
When quizzed by police, Loosemore, the pilot during the "sex" incident, could not explain why the team never arrived on the stolen motorcycle callout. He said he heard someone say ‘wow’ and looked across to his screen to see images of ‘nudity’ and possibly a woman’s breasts.
The case continues.