A man who secretly peered into a locked cubicle at a public pool and who had previously molested two women on trains has been jailed, a court heard this week. The case highlights fresh concerns about safety in communal changing rooms and the legal consequences for repeat sexual offenders.
Court hands down jail time and long registration
Perth Sheriff Court sentenced Mohammed Mirzai to 30 weeks in prison after finding that he deliberately positioned himself to watch a woman undress at the Perth Leisure Pool on October 25. The sheriff ordered Mirzai to be placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years, saying the conduct was deliberate and caused significant alarm to the victim.
The sheriff rejected Mirzai’s explanations that the incident was accidental or caused by intoxication, concluding the behaviour was planned and aimed at sexual gratification.
What happened at the pool
The court heard that a 28-year-old woman, while drying her legs in a locked cubicle, looked down and noticed Mirzai’s face at floor level, staring upwards. Staff at the leisure centre were alerted and used membership records to identify him; police subsequently arrested him at the facility.
Prosecutors said Mirzai had lain on the floor in the adjacent cubicle to observe the woman and, when discovered, uttered words in a language the victim did not recognise before she left and reported the incident to staff and later to police.
Earlier train offences and bail status
Prosecutors also told the court that Mirzai admitted touching two women on separate ScotRail services between Glasgow and Polmont in March of last year, pressing them on the upper thigh during journeys on March 14 and March 22. At the time of the pool offence he was on bail for those train incidents; sentencing for them has been deferred pending this decision.
- Sentence: 30 weeks in prison
- Registration: 10 years on the sex offenders register
- Pool incident date: October 25
- Earlier assaults: Two separate incidents on ScotRail services, March 14 and March 22
- Identification: membership records at Perth Leisure Pool
- Defendant: described in court as an Afghan national and asylum seeker
Background and local context
Court filings state Mirzai had been staying at a hotel in Perth at the time of the leisure-centre incident. He is reported to have travelled to the UK after a relative worked for the British Embassy in Afghanistan. The hotel where he was registered has previously been the focus of local protests over immigration policy, though the court’s sentencing was driven by the facts of the offences rather than the wider community debate.
Fiscal depute Lissie Cook outlined the victim’s account in court, describing how she had spent time in the public pool, returned to search for a cubicle and then found Mirzai positioned to watch her while she was naked.
Why this matter matters now
Criminal behaviour inside changing rooms raises urgent questions about public safety and the measures venues take to protect users. Leisure centres and pools rely on staff vigilance, membership systems and prompt reporting to staff and police — all of which were central to identifying and arresting the accused in this case.
The sentence also underscores how courts treat repeat sexual offending, particularly where incidents involve deliberate voyeurism or contact in confined public spaces.
Sentencing on the previous train offences will be determined once this custodial term and related processes are finalised.
Hi, I’m Benjamin, a member of the Sherburne County Citizen team. With a passion for writing and a deep interest in current affairs, I thoroughly enjoy bringing you the latest news and trends that affect our daily lives.
