A Metropolitan Police officer accused of secretly filming female colleagues for “sexual gratification” while on duty has denied three charges of voyeurism.
Detective Sergeant Steven Colclough, 45, who is attached to the Met’s Specialist Operations unit, is accused of spying on two fellow officers in the toilets of a police station, while he was on duty.
He is also accused of covertly filming in the bathroom during an event at his home.
Colclough, who is currently suspended from duty, appeared at Southwark crown court on Wednesday to plead not guilty to the charges.
He was told he faces an 18 month delay for his trial, which has been set for November next year.
Colclough, wearing a blue suit and pink tie, confirmed his name from the dock before pleading not guilty to three charges of voyeurism between April 2017 and May 2021.
The first count alleges that he observed “persons unknown” at an address where he was living in Swindon, Wiltshire, while the other two relate to the alleged recording of two different female police officers while he was on duty, the court heard.
Each of the charges states that Colclough observed the women “for the purposes of sexual gratification”.
Judge Jeffrey Pegden KC freed the officer, from Reading, Berkshire, on bail until his five-day trial starting on November 11 next year.
“We have a very large backlog of cases here, caused by the pandemic and other factors, so there is a big delay”, explained the judge.
The defendant is banned under the terms of his bail from contacting any alleged victims.
The Met previously said Colclough was arrested in May 2021, immediately suspended from duty and charged following an investigation by the force’s Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command.
It said the Directorate of Professional Standards will carry out a misconduct review at the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.
