Phillip Antony Best: Bunbury plumber accused of filming teenage girl in beach shower

A Bunbury plumbing business owner accused of filming a teenage girl inside a public toilet block at a popular beach has appeared in court for the first time. Phillip Antony Best, 58, made a brief appearance in the Bunbury Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with indecently recording a child aged over 13 and under 16. It is alleged Mr Best used his mobile phone to film the 15-year-old girl from the roof cavity of a toilet block at Back Beach on Ocean Drive on October 8. When asked if he understood the charge, Mr Best said: “Yes I do.” Mr Best is a former member of the Bunbury Surf Life Saving Club, which is based in the building directly next to the toilet block where it’s alleged the incident occurred. The 58-year-old had been a part of the Bunbury SLSC for more than 30 years. He was listed as the under-14 youth manager in 2019-2020 and youth co-ordinator in 2021-2022. His Davenport business Phillip Best Plumbing is now listed online as “permanently closed”. During his appearance, the matters were adjourned until Monday to allow Mr Best to vary his bail, which included a surety and reporting conditions, with a further lengthy adjournment indicated to the court to review what defence counsel Rhonda Parks described as a “considerable amount of material”. It is understood Mr Best and the teenager were not previously known to each other.