Senior worker at vaccine lab used phone to upskirt female colleague

Senior employee at Government’s high security Porton Down vaccine lab used mobile phone to upskirt female colleague in her underwear as she got changed for work

• Gregory Bransgrove, 28, took 10 photos of female colleague as she got changed
• They had been changing into safety clothes at Porton Biopharma in Salisbury
• Bransgrove first denied taking photos but police found deleted files on device
• He admitted voyeurism at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court and was handed fines 

Gregory Bransgrove (pictured), 28, took 10 photos of the woman while sliding his mobile phone’s camera underneath her cubicle as they put on official safety clothes at the high-security Porton Biopharma in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

A senior employee at a top secret government vaccine laboratory has avoided jail after ‘upskirting’ his female colleague as she got changed for work. 

Gregory Bransgrove, 28, took 10 photos of the woman by sliding his mobile phone’s camera underneath her cubicle as they put on official safety clothes at the high-security Porton Biopharma in Salisbury, Wiltshire. 

The victim spotted the device and immediately confronted Bransgrove, who tried to claim he had dropped his phone and was picking it up when she saw it. 

However he later pleaded guilty to voyeurism was handed a three-year community service order at Salisbury Magistrates Court. 

He was also ordered to pay almost £500 in costs and fines – including £300 in compensation to his victim, who branded him a ‘repulsive creature’ in her impact statement. 

His victim – who cannot be named – told the court how she was so appalled by his behaviour that she delayed having a baby.

‘He had no right to do such a disgusting, cruel and vile thing,’ she said.

‘My partner and I had the news that we could start IVF but I was not in the right state of mind.

‘I had been waiting five years for this, but how could I bring in a life to the world when it is full of repulsive creatures like Greg? The incident has stopped my life.’

The court heard Bransgrove and his victim worked together at the world famous Porton Down site near Salisbury, Wiltshire.

The high-security base is where the Ministry of Defence has top secret military scientific research facilities.

It is also the home of Porton Biopharma, the company which Bransgrove and his female victim both worked for, which is run by Public Health England and develops ‘life saving biopharmaceutical therapeutics and vaccines’.

Outlining the incident, prosecutor Ryan Seneviratne told Salisbury Magistrates Court: ‘Mr Bransgrove took some photos of [his female colleague] on his mobile phone whilst they were both getting changed. She was in her underwear.

‘They changed into official clothing they have to wear before going to work.. 

‘There are individual cubicles to change into. Mr Bransgrove enters one and [his female colleague] enters the one next to him.

The court heard Bransgrove and his victim worked together at the world famous Porton Down site (pictured) near Salisbury, Wiltshire

Bransgrove (pictured) was ordered to pay almost £500 in costs and fines – including £300 in compensation to his victim, who branded him a ‘repulsive creature’ in her impact statement.

‘Upskirting’ is a colloquial term referring to the action of placing equipment such as a camera or mobile phone beneath a person’s clothing to take a voyeuristic photograph without their permission.

It is not only confined to victims wearing skirts or dresses and equally applies when men or women are wearing kilts, cassocks shorts or trousers. 

It is often performed in crowded public places, for example on public transport or at music festivals, which can make it difficult to notice offenders.

The Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019 received Royal Assent on 12 February 2019 and will be implemented 12 April 2019. 

The new offences will apply to England and Wales and they will not be retrospective. 

These offences are triable either way and carry a maximum 2 year prison sentence.

Prior of the creation of the new offences contained in the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019 (the ‘2019 Act’), no specific offence of upskirting existed. 

Depending upon the particular circumstances, certain behaviour could be prosecuted under existing law such as the common law offence of Outraging Public Decency, or the existing Voyeurism offences under section 67 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

However, this legislation doesn’t cover all instances and as such some acts of upskirting could avoid prosecution. 

By creating a specific upskirting offence the legislation is strengthened and enables courts to ensure the most serious sexual offenders are made the subject of notification requirements.

Source: Cps.gov.uk

‘Whilst she was changing, [the female colleague] noticed his mobile phone camera [underneath the cubicle partition].

‘She was wearing a pyjama top and underwear. She challenged him immediately, saying, ‘What are you doing? You better not have taken a photo of me’.

‘He mumbled ‘No’ in reply. She escalated the matter immediately.

‘Mr Bransgrove said the mobile phone fell out of his trouser pocket as he was changing – and he managed to catch it as it fell to the ground.’

Though Bransgrove had deleted them from his mobile, police were able to recover the ten images he took of his colleague in her underwear.

He was immediately suspended from work on full pay, but resigned five months later.

‘Mr Bransgrove was suspended from work on the day [of the incident],’ Mr Seneviratne continued. 

‘He was later arrested and his mobile phone, laptop and hard drive were seized.

‘Police sent his mobile phone for forensic examination, and were able to find there were ten images on the phone [of his female colleague].

‘All of these ten images had been deleted from the memory card, but could be found by forensic examination and matched with the date and time [of the offence].

‘[This was] completely contrary to what he had told the police in his explanation. He was re-arrested and the images were put to him.’

The court also heard a victim impact statement from her in which she explained how Bransgrove’s ‘vile’ and ‘disgusting’ actions had affected her.

The statement read: ‘The actions of Gregory Bransgrove have greatly affected my life.

‘I am unable to go into a changing room at work without [remembering what happened].

‘At work I struggle to do my job. I am conscious about my body and lack confidence in my appearance. This should never have crossed his mind.’

Lead Magistrate Sarah Neish sentenced Bransgrove to a 36-month community order and ordered him to pay a total of £480 in fines and costs.

Included in the costs was £300 in compensation to be paid to his former colleague.

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