A Vancouver chef who spied on female customers in the bathroom of his high-end eatery should only receive a conditional discharge, his lawyer argued Monday.
Allan Bosomworth, 39, was the co-owner of Two Chefs and a Table in Gastown when he put a hidden camera in the restroom two years ago.
He has since pleaded guilty to one count of secretly observing nudity in a private place, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail.
It appears unlikely Bosomworth will be sentenced to any time behind bars, however.
At a sentencing hearing in Vancouver provincial court, Bosomworth’s lawyer argued his client has already suffered significant shame and embarrassment as a result of media coverage of the case.
The lawyer said Bosomworth has been unable to work, comparing him to one of the Stanley Cup rioters who was also the subject of public scrutiny.
The chef should only serve a conditional discharge, the lawyer argued, which would mean no jail time and no criminal record if he behaves.
Even Crown prosecutors said Bosomworth should stay out of jail, pushing instead for a suspended sentence and one years’ probation.
The judge reserved her decision, and is expected to deliver it on Jan. 14.
Bosomworth was caught after his business partner Karl Gregg learned of the camera and turned him in to police.
The offense took place over the course of five days in December 2012, according to the Crown. Former employees reported learning the camera was either found on a toilet, or in a garbage can beside the toilet.
Police have said they could only identify one of the victims because the hidden camera produced such poor quality video.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Shannon Paterson
