A COLCHESTER man accused of secretly recording himself having sex with a woman claimed he had filmed what was happening accidentally after looking at his phone to check the time, a court has heard.

Sam Ward had gone home with the woman after meeting her in the Essex University student bar in Colchester and spending the evening drinking and talking to her, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The couple were having sex when Ward reached across and picked up his iPhone phone from a bedside table and allegedly began filming what they were doing, said Matthew Sorel-Cameron, prosecuting.

"He didn't tell her what he was going to do and she didn't know at first what he was doing.

"She thought he was reading or responding to a text," he said.

When she realised that he wasn't touching the screen and recording what they were doing the woman was "very unhappy", said Mr Sorel-Cameron.

She snatched his phone and tried to look at the screen before running naked from the building.

She ran to a nearby property and banged on the door and the police were called, said Mr Sorel-Cameron.

The alleged victim handed Ward's phone to the police and officers went to his accommodation and arrested him.

He later told police he had picked up his phone while he was having sex with the woman to check the time and had accidentally filmed what they were doing.

Ward, 28, of Avon Way Colchester, has denied an offence of voyeurism which was allegedly committed in October 2022.

The jury was shown the 11 second clip allegedly made by Ward of him having sex with the woman.

The trial continues.