EXCLUSIVE | 

Man spared jail after taking sneaky sex video of ex and sharing it with mates

Connor Noel (27) will only spend nine months on probation

Today at 17:30

This is the man who has escaped going to jail after he took a sneaky sex video of his ex and shared it with his mates.

Connor Noel (27), who we can reveal recently became a father, will only spend nine months on probation after a judge described his sharing of the intimate video as “not revenge porn”.

However, it seems the carpenter hasn’t been completely truthful about his dodgy behaviour, even with his close family.

When we called at his home, a relative told us Noel told them he had only taken a picture of the woman for himself and hadn’t shared it with anyone.

But in truth, he’d taken a video without her consent and then shared it with his friends.

The relative described Noel as “really quiet and wouldn’t hurt a fly”.

They also said he was “really private” and spent much of his time in his bedroom and they had been concerned for him because of the stress of the case.

The relative added they were shocked to hear the truth about his video shame.

“He told us it was just a picture he’d taken and that he hadn’t shared it with anyone.

“We didn’t know it was a video and he’d showed it to people,” they explained.

“He made a mistake, it was over four years ago and he just wants to get on with his life now.”

Sentencing Noel at Newtownards Magistrates’ Court on Monday, District Judge Peter Magill said while he had shared the intimate video, “this is not a case of revenge porn”.

Noel, from Wellington Drive in Bangor, had earlier entered guilty pleas to disclosing the private sexual video without consent and intending to cause distress, and to recording a person doing a private act, also without their consent and intending that he or a third person would look at it “in order to obtain sexual gratification”.

District Judge Magill described how Noel had recorded the video on his mobile phone but he “ensured that her face was not visible and no one knew who it was except that her friend recognised the furnishings and put two and two together”.

“He has pleaded guilty and is therefore entitled to a reduction for the plea,” said the judge.

Defence counsel Conan Rea highlighted that “it’s a very positive pre-sentence report” and to all intents and purposes, “things are going very well” so he was urging the judge to impose a period on probation to make sure things stayed that way.

Imposing a nine-month order, District Judge Magill told Noel he would have to comply with every instruction from his supervising officer “because if you don’t, they won’t have any choice but to bring you back before the court and you will be re-sentenced and you really do not want that to happen”.

“Meet them halfway and work with them,” he advised Noel, of whom he said: “I do not expect to see this man ever again.”