A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of a former Labour candidate who secretly filmed men urinating - after he missed his sentencing for a holiday in Turkey.
David Christison, 44, of Dunheved Road South, Thornton Heath, was due at Croydon Magistrates' Court today (May 1) after pleading guilty to filming men urinating for his own sexual gratification, on 30 separate occasions, in the Centrale shopping centre toilets.
However, magistrate Ian McNeil has issued a warrant for his arrest after it emerged he had skipped his date with justice to go on holiday in Alanya in Turkey.
Christison, who stood in Waddon at the council elections in 2010, wrote a letter to the court explaining his trip, but Mr McNeil dismissed it as "not being a very good reason".
The magistrate issued an immediate warrant without bail and Christison could now be arrested when he arrives back at the airport from his break.
It is now the third time Christison has avoided being sentenced.
He missed one court appearance on March 20 because he said he was recovering from a heart attack.
A further sentencing on April 3 was adjourned until today.
The suspended West Thornton ward secretary has made little effort to hide his trip to Turkey, posting holiday snaps on his Facebook account as recently as yesterday (Wednesday).
The photographs include a view of Alanya's harbour and fountains on the beachfront.
Alanya is a popular tourist beach resort on the southern coast of Turkey known for its warm temperatures, natural attractions and historic medieval landmarks.
Christison stood for Labour in a hotly-contested seat in Waddon in 2010, but has been suspended by the national party after the incident. He was the ward secretary in West Thornton until his offences came to light.
Police were called to Centrale shopping centre on April 28 by security guards to reports of a man acting strangely in the men's public toilets.
Christison was pointed out to security guards after witnessing him using his phone for voyeuristic purposes.
Police found a video on his phone of another man urinating and a further search of his home found a number of laptops with 29 videos of a similar nature taken between April 2011 and March 2013.
Prosecutors said the videos had obviously been taken covertly because they were filmed at urinal level.
Christison's suspension from the Labour Party means he is not currently a member and his position will be reviewed at a later date.
He lost out narrowly by 500 votes in the local elections in Waddon in 2010 to the nearest Conservative candidate.
He attempted to make a legal challenge against the result, claiming polling stations were ill-equipped and under-staffed.
Christison, who was receiving disability benefit at the time, gave up seven months later when the Legal Services Commission decided it could not fund his court battle.
