DAVID BROWN CUMBERNAULD SHOCKER: GLASGOW VICTIM'S HORRIFIC ORDEAL REVEALED

In January 2022, a disturbing case emerged involving David Brown, a man from Cumbernauld, who was found guilty of heinous acts of voyeurism targeting his stepdaughter. The case drew significant attention due to the calculated nature of his crimes and the impact on the young victim, Zara Montgomery, now 19.

Brown, aged 57, appeared in Glasgow Sheriff Court where he admitted to secretly filming Zara in her private space. The court heard that he had installed covert cameras in her bedroom, including one hidden behind a gap drilled in her wardrobe and another concealed within the keyhole of a chest of drawers. These devices allowed him to record her without her knowledge during her teenage years. Additionally, Brown placed a tiny camera inside her bedside clock while they were on holiday, further demonstrating the premeditated and invasive nature of his actions.

He was sentenced to four months of detention and was placed on the sex offenders’ register following his guilty plea. Sheriff Lindsay Wood addressed the court, stating, “These were planned. They led to, you admit, sexual arousal and you taking alcohol to disinhibit yourself. Your behaviour was utterly shameful. It’s had a profound impact on your victim and her family. You have a significant sexually deviant problem which needs to be addressed.”

Zara, who chose to waive her right to anonymity, revealed that she first met Brown when she was just eight years old, through her mother, Nadine Allam, a lawyer. Her ordeal came to light when she was 15, after she discovered a reflection from a blanket box that revealed Brown’s hidden camera. She found footage on her Samsung phone showing him switching the device on, which left her feeling confused and disturbed. Further investigation uncovered a taped handset hidden inside her wardrobe door, with a hole drilled through it to facilitate recording.

Throughout her teenage years, Zara endured the trauma in silence, often locking herself in the bathroom or staying late at school to avoid her stepfather. She feared that revealing the abuse might lead to violence or cause her family to break apart. Her courage finally surfaced in January of the previous year when she confided in her mother after her parents’ separation in 2019. This led to a police raid at Brown’s home, where officers discovered photographs of Zara, including images taken by a camera concealed within an alarm clock during a holiday in Florida.

Brown, a former taxi driver, was charged with multiple offenses. He admitted to tampering with furniture and hiding his phone to record videos between August 2015 and April 2017. He also pleaded guilty to filming Zara during their holiday in Florida from August to December 2018. Despite the severity of his actions, Sheriff Wood decided against imposing a jail sentence, citing Brown’s lack of previous convictions. Instead, he was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and was barred from meeting anyone under the age of 17 alone. The sheriff emphasized the gravity of Brown’s misconduct, stating, “You should realise what you did for your own sexual gratification caused untold harm to a young lady.”

Brown was also placed under supervision as part of his sentence, reflecting the court’s recognition of the need for ongoing monitoring and intervention to address his deviant behaviour.