A "risk-taking" voyeur covertly filmed two women in the bath or showering on separate occasions, in one case after entering the victim's home as a trespasser.

Paul Shields, 55, was sentenced to three years in prison at Durham Crown Court after admitting to 21 counts of voyeurism and one count of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.

The court heard that Shields had an "infatuation" with one of the victims and had previously made inappropriate remarks and sent her unwanted gifts, including a vibrator.

On February 24, Shields entered the woman's home through a landing window and across the roof, setting his phone to record as he climbed onto her garage roof.

The woman, who had previously been subject of inappropriate remarks by Shields and the recipient of unwanted presents, one of them a vibrator, informed police and the defendant was arrested later that day. When interviewed, he said he had seen the woman's bathroom light going on, at 6.20am that day, February 24, and "on impulse" climbed onto her garage roof and into her home, setting his phone to record. But when she shouted, he said he, "came to his senses" and left. He told police he had not viewed any footage he might have captured of the woman in the shower and deleted it from his phone, adding that he was "appalled" at what he had done.

Shields was caught when the woman realized he was filming her in the shower and shouted at him. He fled the scene by the way he had entered.

Police investigations revealed that Shields had previously filmed the same woman in the shower in October of the previous year without being detected. He was caught after police seized his mobile phone and found a video of the woman in the shower.

The court also heard that Shields had filmed another woman in the bath or shower on multiple occasions. He had created a folder on his computer with the woman's first name followed by five stars and had saved 20 videos of her in the bathroom.

Shields admitted to having "an interest in voyeurism" but initially claimed that the footage was taken with the consent of the victims. However, both women were horrified when they learned of the footage and said they had not consented.

Recorder Andrew Dallas described Shields' behavior as "extraordinary and worrying" and said it was "concerning" the level of risk he was prepared to take to satisfy his sexual interest in voyeurism.

In addition to the prison sentence, Shields was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining orders relating to both women, indefinitely. He will also be subject to notification as a sex offender for life.