AN AIRLINE guest services assistant filmed women using a toilet in Changi Airport while he was going through a "severe depressive episode" after breaking up with his girlfriend and hearing voices in his head, a court heard yesterday.
Guo Jinquan, 27, took videos of three air stewardesses using his phone but was caught when a fourth woman discovered him in the toilet and raised the alarm.
At least one of the women resembled his former girlfriend.
Yesterday, Guo pleaded guilty to two of seven charges against him, with the rest to be taken into consideration when he is sentenced next month.
The offences were committed on Nov 30 last year and Jan 31 this year, and comprised criminal trespass and insulting modesty.
According to court papers, he took upskirt videos of his victims from under the cubicle doors.
Minutes before being discovered, he recorded the third one changing.
Referring to an Institute of Mental Health report, defence counsel Tang King Kai said his client was diagnosed with schizophrenia and a "severe depressive episode" after being arrested.
A later report said Guo was hearing voices at the time.
Although the voices had not commanded him to enter the female toilet or to record his victims, Guo was not in a normal state of mind at the time and had not acted rationally, the lawyer said.
Mr Tang said Guo should be spared jail as this would disrupt the treatment he has been seeking for his condition. He added that his client was now unemployed and doing volunteer work.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ruth Teng disagreed, arguing that Guo would be able to receive treatment while in custody.
She pointed out how the reports did not say Guo's condition had directly led him to offend.
He is expected to be sentenced on Jan 27, after District Judge Liew Thiam Leng called for further clarification on his mental state at the time of the offences.
The maximum penalty for criminal trespass is three months in jail and a $1,500 fine, while for insulting the modesty of a woman, it is a one-year jail term and a fine.
