A football coach who used a mobile phone to take 'upskirt' pictures of his former boss has been ordered to pay the victim compensation

Football coach Myles Allan, 44, was sentenced for taking voyeuristic images of a woman's thighs while she was at work.

Allan, who had a brief stint as manager of Berwick Rangers, was found guilty of a voyeurism charge at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. He claimed he had accidentally taken the pictures by brushing his hand against his phone in July 2019, but the court did not believe his explanation.

Sheriff Graham Primrose QC stated that Allan had committed a serious offense within the workplace. "You were found guilty after trial of the offense of voyeurism. I noted during the trial the complainer herself stated she did not consider there to be a sexual element to the offense," said the sheriff. "Instead she considered against the background of you being reprimanded about your performance that day that the taking of the images were designed to humiliate her rather than to provide you with sexual gratification."

Allan was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and given a nine-month supervision order. He was also ordered to pay his victim £400 in compensation.

The victim, who worked with Allan, testified that she felt disgusted and humiliated when she discovered the images. "They [the images] were taken of the top of my thighs when I was wearing a dress. My legs are under my desk and showing my underwear," she said. "When my colleague showed me I was shocked and I was in disbelief it was there. I felt disgusted, humiliated and very angry. How could he think it was as acceptable to do that? I felt physically sick at what I should do. I trusted him and I felt betrayed."

Allan admitted to taking the pictures after an argument with his boss but said he deleted them immediately. However, copies of the images were uploaded from his phone to his work laptop through the iCloud function. He was subsequently fired from the firm and the images were later found in a folder on his work laptop.

Allan has a history in football management, having worked with various clubs including Burntisland Shipyard, Dundonald, Sauchie, Rosyth Juniors, and Berwick Rangers. He was also a coach for Jeanfield Swifts women's team.