A pervert primary school caretaker has been jailed after recording himself setting up a hidden camera to film women in a primary school's toilets.

Matthew Stupples, 42, lived on-site at Wimbledon Park Primary School in south west London, where he had worked as a caretaker and handyman for nearly 15 years.

But in August 2018, his sick secret was exposed when workers at the school discovered that he had hidden a micro-camera in a female adult toilet in a wing of the school.

Matthew Stupples, 42, lived on-site at Wimbledon Park Primary School in south west London where he had worked as a caretaker and handyman for nearly 15 years

He had attached a hand-written note to the adjoining cubicle stating that it was out of order, directing women into the loo that was being filmed.

When police searched Stupples' house, they discovered a huge cache of videos and still images - which revealed that the caretaker had recorded more than 50 instances of people using the school toilet.

On one occasion, images showed a child being assisted using the toilet by an adult.

Stupples, who has lost his job and his home since his deception came to light, pleaded guilty to four counts of voyeurism and one count of taking an indecent photo of a child.

He was sentenced to 33 months in prison, half of which will be served in custody, and handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order alongside a five-year restraining order.

Stupples had previously fitted the same camera in the bathroom at his home on the school grounds, and had used it to film two women showering.

Michael Tanner, prosecuting, said: 'The police initially were contacted by the manager of a sports academy which had hired the school facilities for the day.

'He told officers that a member of staff had found a small camera attached to the toilet roll holder in the female lavatories of Wimbledon Park School.

'Another member of the academy staff went in and detached the camera, which was eventually forwarded to the police.

'In that particular lavatory there were two cubicles and on the Saturday that the camera was recovered, one had been locked.

'A hand-written note had been put on the door, saying that it was out or order and could not be flushed.

'The effect of that was that the cubicle which had the camera was the only one which could be used that day'

Stupples was then arrested and interviewed by police, but refused to cooperate with officers or answer any questions.

When searched by investigators, the camera was found to contain 76 videos and nearly 147,000 still frames - many of which were taken from those video recordings.

Mr Tanner added: 'Some of the images show Mr Stupples very clearly installing the camera in the toilet. His face is very clearly visible.'

When police were going through the material contained on the camera, they discovered that it had previously been fixed in the bathroom of Stupples' home.

Almost a year later, it emerged that some of the stills taken on the camera showed other women in the shower.

The prosecutor added: 'The cache of videos were also shown to contain the video of a shower. It's very clearly a shower installed in the bathroom of the defendant's home address.

'The bathroom images reveal adult females using the shower.'

In an emotional hearing at Kingston Crown Court, one of the women accused the caretaker of betraying her trust with his 'unthinkable' actions.

Wiping away tears and taking a swig of water to compose herself, she delivered a prepared statement from the witness dock.

She said: 'When I found out that he had taken images of me, I felt violated and disgusted.

'To do this is unthinkable and inexcusable.

'When I'm reminded that he used these images for his sexual gratification, I feel my stomach turn. I fear seeing my body appear on the internet or on television.

'There hasn't been a day after seeing those images that I have felt normal. I would never wish this on anyone.'

In August 2018, workers at the school discovered that Stupples had hidden a micro-camera in a female adult toilet in a wing of the school

Wearing a blue tracksuit top, he sat motionless in the dock as his teary victims revealed the impact that he has had on their lives.

Andrew Foreman, in mitigation, said that Stupples had acknowledged his culpability by pleading guilty, and pointed out that he had - until now - been considered of good character.

He said: '[Stupples] has finally come to terms with what he has done. He has no sexual interest in children and he apologises for the fact that it happened.

Adding that the 42-year-old will have to move in with his elderly parents and his sister, Mr Foreman added: 'He has lost his family, he has lost his income and he has lost his home.'

As some of his victims and former colleagues - and several family members - watched on in the public gallery, Judge Alexandra Healy QC sentenced Stupples to nearly three years in prison, half of which will be served on licence.

Stupples will also be put on the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life, preventing him from working with children again, and ordered to pay a victims' surcharge of £181.

She said: 'There was in my view a very serious breach of trust. That breach of trust was powerfully illustrated by the victim impact statements read in court.

'I have no doubt that you have caused your victims serious psychological harm. Your offending has caused very real and considerable harm.

Addressing the statement given in court by one of Stupples' victims, the judge said: 'You could not even bring yourself to look her in the eye.'

Judge Healy added that Stupples' regular replacement and maintenance of the camera - and the handwritten sign he had placed on one of the bathroom cubicles - showed 'a significant degree of planning'.

She said: 'These offences involve a very considerable abuse of trust, in your position as a caretaker and member of staff at the school.

'You were well aware that it was possible that a child could be taken to use that toilet.

'Given the period of time that you falsely proclaimed your innocence I can't judge that you have demonstrated real remorse.'

Speaking after the trial a teacher from Wimbledon Park Primary School, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'He should have got more, for the impact and upset that he's caused.

'Even though this is finished as such today, it's not finished. He's fine now - he can just go and eat his meals, go to sleep and do whatever. We're the ones with all the stress.

'It doesn't feel like the end. We don't know what else he could have been filming. He's not bothered he's done it, he's bothered he got caught.

'For a while year he was saying he hadn't done anything wrong - and meanwhile he'd been a pervert.'